Xs and Os
by Kade Riggs
Summary: Gambit's daughter has grown up in the XMansion, but it starts to feel less like her home during her teenage years. Could the mystery of who her mother was be part of the reason? Prequel to 'Sincerely.'
1. Enter The Queen of Hearts

AN: I hate to do it, but the time has come to put up a warning for potential readers. I'd hoped I would never have to deal with this in any of my fics, but it is clear in this instance I need to include one, as it has been suggested to me that if I want this fic to be a 'good story' as opposed to an 'okay story,' I should change the behavior of _my characters _to fit within a reviewer's scope of what they should be like. I would like to avoid future suggestions of this nature, so here goes:

Warning:

I would encourage potential reviewers to be patient, and give the story a chance to develop before making any complaints about such things as 'the real x-men/real people, in this environment, at this time, would/would not have done what they did in your story...', keeping in mind not only that this is _my_ story, and thus will be tainted by _my_ personal views and morals, but that some actions which _at the time_ might not make sense, could very possibly be explained in a future chapter. This is my fanfic version of the x-men. Please respect that. If you can't, that's absolutely fine. Simply press the 'back' button on your browser, and proceed to write your own story to your liking.

If you choose to read and review anyway, keep in mind that while I take all constructive criticism into consideration, even if it entails completely restructuring my story, I WILL NOT change my fic in accordance with the demands of arrogant, patronizing, fanboy/fangirl readers.

Thank you.

* * *

I awoke, as usual, to the water running in the bathroom connecting my room to my father's. Pop was already up, and from the sound of it, singing some Deep South folk song in the shower. Whether it was in English or French, I couldn't tell, but it was only seven am, so I really didn't care. 

Strange isn't it, how sometimes you wake up way before you want to, but for the moment you feel wide awake? That was how I felt that morning. Just when I finally got myself back to sleep, dad walked into my room mostly-dressed, and thunked down on the bed next to me, startling me awake.

"Time t' wake up, chere. Got school today," he said, a little too cheery for such an early hour. I could hear him rubbing his hair dry with a towel.

I groaned, swatting in his general direction before pulling the blankets over my head. "Go away, Pop, I don't wanna go to school."

He chuckled, tickling me through the covers, succeeding in driving me crazy. I thrashed, trying to escape his torturous hands until I fell off the edge of my bed, taking some of the sheets with me.

"Good, you're up. Come on, don't wanna be late for breakfast, or else there won' be none left."

I groaned again, wrapping up in the sheet I had, content to continue sleeping on the floor if I had to. "That's okay, Pop, I ain't hungry. You can go along without me. I'll catch up later."

"Sadi, Sadi, what am I gonna do wit' you? What's Gambit goin' t' say when the Professor wants ta know where you are? 'Ah, I don' know, Professor. She just didn' wanna go t' school this year, so I let her stay in bed.' Ain't gonna win father of the year that way, ma jolie fille."

"You work on that guilt trip in front of a mirror all summer, or did you really just think it up on the spot?" I asked grimly, finally starting to rub some of the sleep from my eyes.

I heard Pop chuckle as he crawled across my bed, finally coming back into view from my perspective. He looked down at me lying there on the floor, his overly-bright smile extending to his red-on-black eyes. "Oh, come on. It wasn' that bad. Was it?"

I smiled at last. I'd always found his humor strangely infectious. "Non, peré, it was good. Tell you what, I'll get up under one condition," I said, holding up a single digit.

Dad propped his jaw up on one hand, still smirking down at me. "Mm hm, Gambit's listenin'."

"You gotta take me to get my license after school today," I said firmly, so there'd be no room for argument, cocking one eyebrow in challenge.

Remy mimicked me, looking thoroughly amused. "That it?"

My jaw dropped. I'd been begging to get my license since I'd turned sixteen in July, and dad had refused time and again. Why now?

"What, you're actually going to take me to get my license if I get up right now?" I stuttered, feeling thoroughly stunned. Heck, maybe I shoulda started refusing to get up in the morning a long time ago!

"That's the plan, chere," he said, a playing card appearing in his free hand. He let it go, allowing it to flutter down and make a soft landing on my stomach.

I picked it up and looked at it. The Queen of Hearts. Figured. Dad was all sappy and romantic that way. He'd been telling me ever since I was a little kid I was his _Queen of Hearts, _and he was my _Ace of Spades_.

I would often ask him why when I was younger, and his response was always the same.

"Well, chere, I figure anythings gotta be better than Aces and Eights. Gambit never had no luck playin' a _Dead Man's Hand_."


	2. The Breakfast of XMen

Breakfast was...breakfast. The first days of school always meant more hustle and bustle early in the morning for the X-Mansion.

Year-round students ate with the teachers and staff. I saw a number of them running around, trying to get all their last minute details squared away before the first bell. Those on cooking duty were frazzled and stressed, sometimes downright annoyed by the chaos. Mutant powers were on display in just about every form imaginable.

Yup, this was my home. Not that I didn't like living at the mansion. It was great, really. Sometimes it was just hard for me, because I never inherited any mutant powers. As far as anyone could tell, I was 100 percent grade-A, normal human.

"Heads up, Sadi!" Jean called out, and I ducked while walking across the kitchen, as plates of food floated over to the table and came to rest on placemats.

"Yer up mighty early, Sug. Good for you!" Marie teased, giving me a good natured pat on the back as she passed me. Pop was right behind me, so she took up a short conversation with him. "So how'd ya do it, Swamp Rat? You have to pour cold water over her?"

I stopped to listen to this, crossing my arms over my chest and giving dad one of those, 'don't you dare embarrass me while everyone's listening' looks.

Remy just laughed, his eyes sparkling, mostly in my direction. "Na, chere. Didn't have t' drag Sadi outta bed this mornin'. She's the perfect daughter, and was already awake and ready for school. You know how these kids get so excited t' see old friends, and make new ones. They hardly sleep."

Rogue was almost smirking by then, but tried to cover it up with her hand. "Well, that's great. I'm glad you're excited about school, Sadi. You should be--you don't have to take my class," she joked, and all three of us laughed.

I looked around, wondering how many of the half-dozen or so mutants in the room were listening in on this little exchange, while pretending to not pay attention. Probably all but one, I guessed. I had the feeling Beast was honestly reading his _Science Exploration_ magazine. The rest were all female, and probably all ears while pretending to be busy. Ever since Rogue rejoined the X-Men just over two years ago, lots of people said eventually she and my pop might have a few sparks fly.

"Don't know what the Professor was thinkin', havin' me teach Biology. He says I have to make the students do dissections an' everythin'. I gotta say though, watching a bunch of mutants dissect frogs and giant insects could be interesting."

We chuckled with her before a short silence drifted over us.

"Join us for breakfast, chere?" Pop politely suggested.

Marie gave him, and then me, a pleasant but nervous smile. "Na, I jus' got done eatin'. Besides, I'd better go finish gettin' ready for today's lesson. Don't wanna screw up my first day of teaching too bad. I'll take a rain check for tomorrow. Good luck with yo' classes, Sadi, Cajun," she said, nodding to each of us as she turned to slip past dad. She paused as she did so, briefly squeezing my father's shoulder.

I noticed that. I always noticed things like that. I had super-radar for women who hit on Pop, and rarely did anyone manage to slip past it, even if they were mutants.

Remy merely smiled in response, although I could see him itching to do more. He was a flirt by nature, but I think he purposely toned it down to spare me the embarrassment--and because he knew I could be one jealous girl. Truth be told, he was all I had, and if I did have to share him with another woman someday, it damn well better be the right one! None of the women he'd ever dated stood the test of time. Most of them were young, and selfish themselves. They didn't like playing ball with a daughter who always wanted to come first in her father's life. Fortunately, so far Pop always agreed I should come first, because I stole his heart fair and square, and according the thieves' code that made it my property.

"You eatin' in here today, chere?" Pop asked me, interrupting my thoughts.

Almost as if they'd been cued to enter, the kitchen suddenly flooded with students and teachers alike. Even though the morning dining area was rather large, it felt more than a little stuffy with all those people around.

I gave Pop a sad look, but he simply nodded, seeming to understand. "Go ahead, chere. Gambit'll catch up with you sometime this afternoon. Just don' forget about gettin' your license. Study up durin' lunch, in case they want ya t' take the driving test."

I nodded, still sad, even though he was smiling at me. I don't think he blamed me for not liking the larger groups of people so often encountered in the mansion. I think he understood I was more of a solitary individual. I enjoyed having my space--but I still felt bad, like I was abandoning him. I would've hugged him before slipping out of the kitchen, but I hadn't done that in front of so many people in years.

I slipped away as Pop sat down between Beast and Storm. I pushed opened the swinging door, and escaped to the quiet of the hallway, heading for the game room. I figured no one else would be there so early in the morning.

I cursed myself a bit for forgetting to snatch myself something to eat. That meant I'd be starving eventually. "Damn it, Sadi. Ya just had t' get outta there as fast as ya possibly could. Didn' think, jes ran out," I growled under my breath, falling into Pop's accent. I did that sometimes when chewing myself out.

I was going to be hungry, but did I really want to go back in the kitchen to find something to eat? No, not really, I decided, sauntering down to the game room, pushing the swinging door open as I entered.

I expected to find a place to be alone, but apparently I wasn't the only one. Logan was sprawled out on the couch, flipping through TV channels a mile a minute, before finally settling on an old Bugs Bunny cartoon.

I made to leave before he noticed me, but I was too slow. I decided to blame my sluggishness on being awake four hours too early.

"Might as well sit down, Squirt. You ain't gonna find a better place to get away from it all than in here. Trust me, I looked," he stated gruffly, never looking over at me.

I smiled a little. Sometimes I wondered why I was more like Wolverine than my dad in some ways. When I was little, only three or four years old, I used to follow Logan around like a lost pup--and instead of getting mad like everyone was afraid he would, he'd adopted me to an extent. Ever since Jubilee had left to join Generation X at Massachusetts Academy, he'd been especially mentor-like to me, in a very Wolverine-ish sort of way.

I crossed the room as Wolverine moved over to make room for me, taking one end of the couch so I could have the other end.

He nodded toward his breakfast--packages of jerky and beef sticks. "You'd better eat, or you'll be starving by the time you get to my class. I ain't goin' easy on ya just because it's the first day, and you haven't worked out all summer."

I shrugged. "I'll snatch something from the kitchen if I get hungry."

He picked up one of the packages and tossed it onto my lap. "It ain't negotiable. Eat, watch cartoons, then go to class."

I picked up the package, taking out one of the long reddish sticks. "Where's my vote in all this?"

Logan chuckled, popping his claws on one hand as he sliced up a large piece of jerky into manageable portions. "This ain't a democracy, Squirt. It's 'do what Wolverine tells you, or else.'"

I nodded, rolling my eyes as I took a bite, chewing on the spiced meat for a long moment, my gaze becoming just as glued to the TV screen as Logan's, until a commercial came on.

"So, Logan, about this 'do what Wolverine tells you, or else' bit..."

"Yeah?"

"That a Canadian socialist thing?" I got a half-dirty look for that one, and I smirked. "Just checking," I said, taking another bite of jerky.


	3. To be Normal, Is to be Different

I fell asleep during Storm's chemistry class. I was sitting in the back--but she still noticed. She always notices. And when she notices, she pulls a prank on me, knowing my pop would never get mad at her for picking on me. If anything, he probably would've thought it was hilarious that she dug up a pail and a gardening trowel from the science storage room, and clanged it near my seat, saying something about dismissing class, and everyone watched while I began to collect my books, ready to go on to my next class.

Everyone in the room laughed like it was hysterical.

I caught on quickly that I was being played. I just didn't want to deal with the backlash of letting them know I'd realized it. I kept up my ruffled, half-asleep pretense as I continued to walk on out the door, absently dropping my first-day survey on Storm's desk on my way out.

At the door I paused briefly for a jaw-cracking yawn, and by then my classmates were falling to the floor in fits of laughter. I didn't much care about making them laugh, my goal was to get out of there, and maybe go pester Bobby Drake until lunch. He had an off hour, and since I found him rather attractive, and I could bitch to him about how horrible my classmates were for laughing at me, I thought I'd pay him a visit. Pop never need know. Well, then again, Pop probably wouldn't be the one who'd really get on my case for that kind of thing.

The Professor...now that was a different story.

I really thought I'd made it, gotten away clean with cutting at least part of a class. I was swaggering along down the hall, minding my own business, when I was addressed by someone behind me who sounded like they were far, far too impressed with their roll as an instructor. "Hmm, that's strange. I don't remember hearing the bell ring. I don't suppose you have a hall pass, Sadi Lebeau?"

I stopped, barely keeping myself from groaning as I turned around.

Cyclopes. Damn. How had I managed to miss him? Usually I could see or hear ol' 'Slim' coming a mile away. Wouldn't it be just my luck if Mr. Stick-in-the-Mud started getting as sneaky as his wife, Mrs. Grey-Stick-in-the-Mud. At least with her I could get away with some things. Girl-stuff, you know. With Cyke, typically nothing less than life threatening illness served as a good enough excuse to wander the halls. Especially if you're under the age of eighteen. And especially me, because I didn't have any powers to protect myself with. After all, at any given moment I might be kidnapped by one of the mutant gnomes living in the mansion's walls.

I smiled at him, swearing pleasantly in French. I didn't directly insult him, but I expanded on the fact that I was royally screwed in no uncertain terms. No uncertain terms if you knew rough New Orleans French slang, which he didn't. I hoped...

"Sadi, don't you have chemistry right now?" he asked, interrupting me.

I nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Summers, that's what I said. I'm practicing for French class. Jean told me you took some French in high school, so I thought..." I rambled on, like I usually did, looking for a chance to distract his attention from his goal of sending me back to class.

"Are you cutting class again, Sadi?" he asked, dead serious as he addressed me.

"Non, Mr. Summers. Stormy said we could go early since it was such a nice day, an' so I went." I tried to appear innocent, but I doubted he was going to buy it. In all likelihoodm he'd probably drag me right back to class so I could get laughed at all over again. If I tried to run, he'd probably drag me by the ear.

"That sounds like a load of bullshit t' me, Chere."

My eyes slowly shut as I groaned. There went my ship, and without me on it. I could excuse the fact that I hadn't heard pop sneaking up behind me, because he was good at that kind of thing. But having him sneak up at that moment didn't bode well in my favor.

I did a deliberate about-face, keeping my eyes glued to the floor once I finally reopened them. "Bonjour, peré. Beau jour, n'est-ce pas?" I said, making a weak attempt at small talk.

Pop only did that half-laugh type of thing he does when I try to slip my way out of trouble. I think it makes him a little mad, when I try to BS him like that. However, when I try it on, say, Cyclopes, he thinks it's hilarious.

"You thinkin' you can just slip out of this one, Sadi?"

Damn, I didn't remember the last time he'd sounded that cold while speaking to me. Apparently he was really taking this whole 'father of the year' thing pretty seriously. He was going to be tough with me.

I rolled my eyes. "No, dad, I don't. I don't think I can 'just slip out' of this. There's nothing to slip out of. Storm played a joke on me. I got fooled into thinking class was over and I got up to leave. Since the whole class was already laughing at me, I just kept walking out the door. It wasn't like she expended a whole lot of effort calling me back, and it's not like I could've really fucking stopped her if she'd wanted me back in that room, could I? Besides, she was too goddamn busy laughing at me too!" My rational explanation had quickly exploded into a short-lived fit of rage.

If there was one thing that really set me off in the world, it was someone getting the best of me, people laughing at my expense. That was the true reason why I'd walked out of that classroom, why I didn't go back. I couldn't stand being the butt of a joke for those fucking mutant kids.

Apparently that wasn't good enough for Pop. Figured it wouldn't be. He didn't always understand my problem dealing with that sort of thing.

He grabbed my face, covering my mouth to silence me with one large hand. I felt that tingling I always felt during direct contact with him while he was angry. I felt it against my cheeks and my lips, anywhere his skin touched mine. That tingling was kinetic energy he had to restrain, so it wouldn't pour into me. God forbid he ever get so mad he'd lose that control. If he did, I'd die an excruciatingly painful death.

His red-on-black eyes burned into mine, but when he spoke, his tone sounded calm. "You goin' back t' class right now, Sadi. You goin' t' stand up in front of your classmates, and you gonna t' tell Ms. Munro that you're sorry you left before the bell rang. Got it?"

I couldn't speak, but I wanted to yell 'Let go of me before you blow up my freaking head!' So, I just settled for standing there in silence, and staring at him angrily. God how I wished I could make him feel the same burn from my anger I felt from his. But I couldn't do that. In a barrel full of mutants, I had to be the only normal fish.

"Sadi," he warned, a bit more fiercely than before. He held his head a bit higher, so he could stare down at me with an increased air of superiority.

I didn't like that much either, so again instead of nodding my understanding, I simply crossed my arms over my chest, electing to reamin defiant.

_I_ could wait. It wasn't like I had anywhere to be, besides in class, and I wasn't in a hurry to go back there. How long we played was completely up to him.

"Fine, jes fine," he said at last, letting me go.

Again my eyes fell to the floor, so my hair would fall forward and cover the place where his thumb had pressed against my cheek. The spot had burned, and it continued to sting, even when the source of the pain was taken away. I didn't want him to know he'd hurt me. I didn't want any sympathy right then.

"Don' bother studyin' for the driver's test, Sadi. Cause you ain't gonna get your license til' you're at least eighteen. Go ahead an' give her a detention slip, Cyke. She's earned one."

Then, he was gone. Stalking off down the hall, trench coat sweeping behind him, and suddenly me and Cyclopes were alone again.

"Go back to class, Ms. Lebeau," Scott told me softly, before he too turned to go, in the opposite direction from the one Pop had taken.

It only took me about two seconds to realize that no one would check to make sure I really went back to class, so I didn't. I took off, on my way to find somewhere private to either cry or fume.

Probably both.


	4. Off Alone

* * *

"He know he does that to you?" 

I looked up and a little behind me, arching my back so I could see Logan standing over me. From my perspective he was upside down.

I was lying on my back on the side of a grass-covered hill overlooking the mansion. I'd been watching the clouds pass by overhead, trying to pick out shapes in them. I let myself fall back down, so I couldn't see at him anymore, and I didn't reply.

I'd wanted some alone time. Although having Wolverine around was probably the next best thing to it. I'd just come from his class anyway, so it wasn't like I hadn't expected him to follow me. Hell, the guy could probably smell that I was depressed.

He sat down beside me, carefully placing a bottle of water next within my reach before he opening his late-afternoon beer.

After about ten minutes of silence, I sat up, acknowledging and accepting the gift he'd brought me.

While I was twisting the cap off he glanced sideways at me. "Thought you might need that. Not really sure why. It wasn't like you were kicking ass in self-defense, kiddo. Wanna tell me why?"

I shrugged. "Got sick of beating up a poor punching bag that couldn't defend itself. Besides, if someone like Magneto wanted to kill me, no amount of self-defense could save my ass. We all know I'd be d—e—a—d, dead. People around here don't like admitting that to themselves, because they can't rationalize endangering my life by keeping me here. Especially Pop. They won't even let me have a real sparring partner in self defense, because they're too scared I'll get beat up by some kid who can't control their mutation yet." I sipped my water, watching Logan take a slow, thoughtful drag on his beer out of the corner of my eye.

"You're really going to make a great lawyer someday, kid," he finally said, still staring straight ahead at the view laid out before us.

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "Yeah? What makes you say that?"

Wolverine half-shrugged, opting to take a hard look at his nearly-empty beer bottle instead of me. "The way you can direct a conversation away from a topic you're trying to avoid. If it happens every time his mutation touches you, Sadi, then you need to tell him. And not just him--Beast too, and the Professor. I ain't no expert in the medical field, but I've been around enough mutants to see you're physically sensitive to the kinetic energy your pop builds up in his skin."

Shit.

I looked down at the ground, wondering what I should say to that. "First time you noticed?" I opined softly.

I really wasn't surprised when he shook his head, his animalistic eyes flicking back and forth, probably picking up the movement of every blade of grass on that hill, yet he made no eye contact with me whatsoever. "Honestly, I've noticed for the last few years. Times when you'd flinch when the Cajun'd grab you, even though he was never rough enough for it to hurt. You're a tough kid, so I figured it was something like this. Then today, he takes off like the devil himself on my bike without asking, all pissed off, and you come to class with a burn mark on your face."

"You tell anyone?" I demanded, turning my eyes directly on him.

Again, he shook his head. "Don't even think the Professor knows. I ain't gonna rat on you, kid, if that's what you're thinking. Can't tell you how to call your shots. I will tell ya this; if you don't get help, one these days you're likely to end up permanently scarred, or worse."

Tears forced their way into my eyes, making them burn and my nose sting. "I can't tell my dad, Logan, I just can't," I whispered so my voice wouldn't crack. I turned away, burying my face in my arms.

God how I didn't want him to see me cry, but it wasn't like I had a choice. I couldn't outrun him, and from the looks of things, he wasn't leavin'.

"He won't be mad, Sadi. Cajun knows better than anyone that sometimes mutations come in strange forms..."

"Because he won't touch me anymore if I do," I sobbed loudly. "It's getting worse. Sometimes, he'll hug me or something, and he won't even be mad, and I'll feel it. Right now it only hurts when he's mad, but I used to never feel anything at all. Someday he won't be able to touch me, maybe not even if I wore my clothes like Rogue. Sometimes he'll squeeze my shouler, knuckle me on the chin, and I'll feel it even though he's wearing gloves, or I have a sweatshirt on. And what if he's not the only one? What if I end up like Marie and no one can touch me? I'd never get to kiss a boy, or hug my dad. I think I would rather die than be like that."

The floodgates were open. All the fears and anxiety that I'd pushed aside as being nothing, trivial, were coming out right then. So long I'd been afraid that this moment in time might come to pass. The thing that made my dad so strong would rip us violently apart.

I didn't even realize until I began to calm that Logan had reluctantly pulled my head against his shoulder and silently waited for me to ride out the worst of the torrents of fear and emotion, one stocky arm slung lightly across my shoulders.

When it was over, and I was almost all cried out, he let me go. Standing, he turned to look down at me over his shoulder.

All he said was, "He's back, kid."

Then he left me sitting there, wiping away tears on my sleeve.


	5. Need to Talk to You

* * *

I slipped quietly into my room, wondering if I should lock both the outer door and the one to the bathroom, or if I should try to see if Pop would talk to me. Considering I still felt like I was on the verge of tears, deciding to get a talk with him out of the way probably wasn't the most intelligent thing I'd ever done in my life. 

I didn't bother knocking on his door, just trudged through the bathroom and opened it. Hell, he wasn't even there. Should've expected that, I guess. After all, it was the first day of school, and while his responsibilities weren't many, he did have a few. From what I'd heard, they'd put him in charge of extra curricular activities for the semester. He was supposed to do things like start clubs, and inter-school sports teams. Along with his regular duties of doing research for the Professor and subbing in for various X-Men when they were absent. Heck, he even served as a junior high level tutor from time to time. He was really good at those sorts of things. The kids all loved him, just as much as I did.

It did make me jealous sometimes though. Lots of other kids monopolizing his attention and time. Never mind he was so good at everything he did. He just fit in around the mansion because he belonged there. As for me, well...I didn't belong _anywhere_...

Not with mutants, anyway. For some odd reason, somehow I just couldn't relate to any of the other kids.

Heh, wonder why...

I absently picked up a deck of cards lying on the stand next to dad's bed, and sat down on the edge of the mattress, shuffling slowly to keep my hands occupied. The whole room smelled like his aftershave and cologne, and since I was already on such an emotional kick, irrational tears once again began to threaten at the corners of my eyes.

Dammit, why did I have to be such a hothead? Why did we have to get in these stupid fights in the first place? Pop and I didn't fight often, but being the highly strung, intense people we were, when we did get into it, it often got ugly. In private especially we would get into shouting matches. It hadn't been so bad since he'd quit drinking and partying, but we still had our moments.

I think it surprised a lot of people to see how mad Remy could get. From what I'd heard, before I came along, he had everyone convinced he was just about the coolest cat in the world. Crazy, huh? Guess I really was the monkey wrench in his game. For that reason, sometimes I wondered if he ever regreted me.

I mean seriously, it wasn't exactly like he'd planned to have me.

* * *

Pop didn't come in 'til late. Real late. I think I was probably dead asleep by then, hugging one of his pillows, sprawled out diagonally on his bed. I'm sure there were streaks on my face, from the tears that had dried there. I was a mess. 

He was no better.

Typically a fight with me wasn't nearly enough to cause him to slip back into his 'N'Awlins' habits, so I guessed his day had been even worse than I knew, because of reasons I had yet to discover. I should've suspected that after hearing he'd taken off on Logan's bike. Not even I could make him _that_ mad by myself.

I woke to the sound of an unfamiliar female titter coming down the hall, in my direction. I sat up, bleary-eyed and confused, still hugging dad's pillow tight in my arms when they walked in the door.

He'd brought home a girl. Drunk? Most likely. But why? It hadn't been _that_ bad of a fight. I'd fully expected him to be over it by then. We both tended to be quick to anger, but we were equally quick to feel bad about it.

They stumbled through the door together. She was tall, tall enough to compliment him in height. I'd never seen her before. He had her laughing like crazy. That much I had seen before, although never under such inappropriate circumstances. She wasn't even that old, early to mid-twenties at most.

I was too stunned to speak. Why was he doing this here and now? Granted, I realized that from time to time he did a bit of fooling around, but never at the mansion where I might actually come into contact with it.

The girl saw me and immediately sobered up a bit. "Who's she?" the slut demanded, sounding utterly disgusted, as though I had no right to be there.

I clutched my pillow a bit tighter. If I hadn't already been so depressed, I probably would've jumped up and demanded to know just who the fuck she thought _she_ was coming home with my father, and then questioning my right to be there!

I just sat there rather dumbly, looking at the floor, forcing my eyes to remain dry.

"I need to talk to you, dad," I said flatly, knowing full well it wasn't the time or place to have a serious conversation. Nevertheless, I was hoping that if I asked, he might grant me an audience. Thus, making the girl leave...

It didn't happen. I don't even think he heard me. No wonder, I could smell the reek of alcohol and bar smoke from across the room.

"Sadi, get yo ass outta my room," Pop ordered, before getting pulled into a sickeningly hot kiss by the young brunette.

Just as she was starting to further ruffle his already mussed red hair, tugging off his trench coat, I got up, admitting defeat. Besides, I thought if I stayed too much longer, there was a good chance I would toss my proverbial cookies.

I grabbed my pajamas from my room and stuffed them in a bag, slamming my door shut behind me on cries of "Oh God, Remy! Oh God!"

I definitely needed to get my drivers license._ Fast_.


	6. The Storm Approaches

* * *

"Open up, Kitty, I know you're not asleep!" I kept banging on her door until it opened, and the girl who was the closest thing I had to a friend my own age at the mansion let me into her dorm room. She'd been up late reading, again. Probably one of her computer programming manuals. Ack. 

"There something wrong with your room, Sadi?" she asked curiously, slightly narrowed eyes following my movements as I walked to the center of the room she didn't have to share with anyone. She sounded a little annoyed upon realizing I didn't have any intention of leaving until the next morning. At times the two of us were more like catty sisters than actual friends.

I threw my bag down hard on her futon. "Yes, there is. In my room I can hear some shit faced, bar hopping, bimbo yelling my dad's name." I sat down hard, setting my boots far apart on the floor, and crossing my arms across my chest. I was pissed, too pissed to be depressed anymore.

But I knew better than anyone I couldn't stay mad forever.

Slowly, Kitty closed her door, the look on her face dramatically softer. She came over and sat across from me on her bed. "I'm so sorry," she said, looking down at the floor, probably because she couldn't think of anything else to say.

I shrugged. "Nothing for you to be sorry about. I just had to get out of there. Would it be okay if I crashed on your couch tonight, Kitty?"

"Of course," she reassured, reaching over to pat me on the shoulder.

I bowed my head a bit more, sighing. "Thanks," I said, running my fingers through my shortish brown hair. I nearly choked on my next breath, soon noticing that my cadence of my breathing had slowly deteriorated, becoming shorter and harder. Bad sign. If I didn't calm down soon...

Kitty immediately got up upon noticing what was happening to me. Sitting down beside me on the couch, she pulled me over so my head rested on her shoulder, and softly stroked my hair, trying to calm me.

"Sadi, it's okay. You have to relax, all right? Just breathe, and relax." She placed a pillow on her lap and had me lie down completely, her constant serenity never wavering at such a critical moment.

I probably laid there like that for forty-five minutes to an hour, just trying to keep myself from going under. Too much stress, too short a period of time. Kitty was one of the few people in the mansion who knew about my problems with asthma and panic attacks. Most mutants simply didn't understand that sort of human weakness, and so I preferred it stay on a need-to-know basis. Probably not the wisest decision on my part. Especially considering I so rarely remembered to carry my inhaler with me.

During the worst of the attack, when my head buzzed and dark circles pressed in around my eyes, I started to cling to myself, my fists clenching, and other muscle groups following suit, leaving me without control over them. As the pain and darkness began to wash over me, I couldn't help wishing dad would rush in like he usually did, and hold me until I felt better. He was always strongest when I was weak, and it reminded me I would be okay. When I got really bad, near-unconscious, he'd say the funniest things to help me forget I was sick. What if I never got to have him do that anymore? What was it going to be like when he could no longer touch me without causing me pain?

Thinking that was a mistake--it only prolonged my current ailment, the one all my focus should've been on at the moment. If I didn't get control soon, I might wake up the next morning in a hospital bed.

It had happened before--on a number of occasions, actually.

"Daddy," I whispered, still wheezing a bit. The worst was over by then. It was only a matter of time before my exhaustion pulled me back into a deep, restful sleep.

* * *

Kitty sighed, still playing with Sadi's hair absently. She'd been braiding it, to pass the time, and hopefully help the younger girl settle down. It had been really bad for a while. The wheezing had gotten so intense, her breathing so shallow, that for a while Kitty had been afraid she might have to call Hank. 

Darn girl needed to learn to carry her inhaler around with her. One of these days she was going to get herself into real trouble.

_Because she's human_.

Yes, because she was human. From Sadi's own perspective, and unfortunately a lot of others, that meant she was weak. It was rare to find a mutant with asthma, or any other serious ailment of the like.

When she was sure the girl was asleep, Kitty slowly phased through both the pillow and her, standing up without disturbing her. She phased through her door, and walked down the hall, around the corner, and knocked on Storm's bedroom door.

The African goddess didn't appear annoyed to have been awakened, but from what Kitty knew about Ororo's control over her emotions, that didn't mean she wasn't.

Hopefully when she saw how serious Kitty's expression was, she'd realize her sleep had been disturbed for good reason.

"What is it, child?" Storm asked, concern now lining both her voice, and her usually smooth features. "What's wrong?"

"Sadi's okay, but she had an asthma attack. She's sleeping now, on the couch in my room, but I thought that she should have her inhaler in case she needs it in the night. The problem is, I don't know where it is, and Gambit...I think he's in bed with some woman, and I wasn't sure what to do." Kitty explained softly, just above whispering. She hardly wanted to disturb the sleep of anyone else in the mansion, nor let them hear what was going on.

The last thing Sadi would've wanted was for everyoneo know she'd been weak that night, or that her father was acting like a horny teenager. If they did, it would embarrass her to no end.

Sadi's godmother raised a hand, signaling that Kitty should say no more. "Go and sit with her, make sure her breathing stays regular. If it doesn't, call Hank. I will take care of Remy."

Kitty moved aside, allowing Ororo to pass. As the goddess traveled purposefully down the hall, her bare feet hardly touched the floor. A slight swirl of wind kept her silk robe billowing lightly around her, as she traveled purposefully towards Gambit's bedroom, her anger electrifying the very air itself.

Kitty shivered. Talk about frightening.

When she returned to her own room, she found Sadi still sleeping peacefully, and was grateful for that much. She just hoped that Storm was successful in keeping her mission from becoming a huge incident. For Sadi's sake.


	7. Body Bags and Cheap Perfume

AN: Sorry if the spaces between words get deleted. I hate it when that happens.

* * *

I woke up briefly to my dad's voice out in the hall. He was screaming, possibly at the top of his lungs. 

Still drunk? _Definitely_.

"You betta get the fuck outta my way, Cyke! Ain' no one gonna stand between me and my child!" Pop boomed, just about rattling the floorboards with his volume. Doubtful there was anyone in the house who hadn't heard that, if nothing else before it.

"She's sick, Remy. You can see her in the morning. Right now you're drunk, and there's still a woman in your room none of us knows. If I let you see her now, it might only make it worse. She's sleeping comfortably, and now that she has her inhaler, she's going to be fine. Go take care of things with the girl, get some sleep, and I promise you'll be the first person Sadi sees when she wakes up in the morning," came Scott's measured, calm reply. He was out there playing mediator, that was obvious enough. The question was, would Pop listen?

Ha, stupid question. I should've known better than that. After all, he _was_ drunk.

"Bullshit! If she sick, then Gambit needs t' be with her! Last chance, Cyclopes, get de fuck out of Gambit's way!" Cold this time, threatening. Yet somehow not much quieter.

I hugged my pillow as I felt the ominous tightening in my chest, the tingling around my lips, the fuzzy vision. No matter how mad I got at dad, hearing him yell like that always was the worst thing for me. I hoped they didn't relent, didn't let him in. Pop scared me when he got out of control like that. He could become so argumentative, so violent at the tip of a hat. That's why he'd given up booze years before, after struggling for a long time with being a near-alcoholic. He liked drinking, a lot, but it didn't always like him. Besides, I was still so mad at him _I _was bound to start something, even if he didn't.

I hoped they knew, remembered how it absolutely drove me up the wall to see him like that.

I looked over at Kitty, who stood by the door with her back to me. She phased her arm through, pulling Jean Grey back in with it. Almost as soon as Jean entered the room, all noise from outside ceased passing through the walls. An unnatural silence fell as not even the normal sounds of pluming and creaking of the old mansion came through whatever barrier she'd constructed.

She came over to sit beside me, my inhaler in hand. She gave it to me, helping me sit up so I could take a puff off it. I knew what was coming next, why Jean had been the one they'd sent in. She was going to telepath me back to a calm, dreamless sleep. Normally that would've pissed me off to no end, but at the moment I had neither the strength nor the will to care.

"Don't let him in while he's like that," I whispered, coughing a little after taking a hit off my inhaler. "You know how he gets, and I don't think I could deal with that right now."

As it was, I wasn't dealing very well with him simply being outside Kitty's room, raving like a lunitic, even if I couldn't hear him anymore. Granted, he was raving about wanting to see me, but if it hadn't been that, it would've been something else. I loved Pop to death, but he did have a darker side to him. One that frightened me.

Jean nodded, rubbing my back slowly. She was fairly non-confrontational when it came to 'in-family' arguments, so I was pretty sure she'd be relaying my request to Cyclops telepathically, to make sure he knew he'd been right in assuming I wouldn't want to see my Pop, and should continue trying to keep him at bay. She probably wouldn't go back out there until the hall cleared, if she could help it. "If that's what you want, Sadi, then we won't let him in. Unfortunately I think Scott's getting a little impatient with him."

I shrugged, half panting to catch my breath, and never quite able to catch it. "So what else is new?" I asked in reference to Scott becoming impatient with Remy. That sort of thing happened all the time.

I just hoped Scott wouldn' have to hurt him. Even though I was mad, I knew by morning he'd be extremely apologetic. He'd treat me like a princess, and I'd have to reassure him I still loved him, even though he wasn't perfect. Sometimes he forgot that I would forgive him almost anything. Even after years of living a fairly calm and tranquil life, I suspected that my dad still had abandonment issues. He was honestly afraid that everyone who cared about him would see him for who he 'truly was,' and leave. The fact that family members didn't do that to each other was something he had trouble wrapping his head around.

I was also a little afraid that if Wolverine was sleeping, the yelling might wake him up.

If it did, there would be body bags to put out with the trash in the morning.

* * *

"Calm yourself, Remy," Ororo warned, her voice low, but hard. 

Gambit would have none of it. He was nearly blind with rage at being kept away from his daughter while she needed him. He paced the hallway, his foggy brain unable to come up with a suitable method of moving the very solid Cyclopes out of his path without putting the infrastructure of the house at risk.

"Fuck!" he swore, still just as loud as he'd been ten minutes before, when he'd started yelling. He slammed his fist into the closest wall, busting a hole in it and nearly busting his hand. After all, what did _he_ care if no one got any sleep that night? That was his baby girl in there, suffering. _His_ child. Not theirs. He'd fathered her, after all. Didn't that give him some right to see her now?

She couldn't have been in too serious of a condition, or else Beast would've been summoned, not Jean Grey. But the only thing running through his mind at the moment was how he'd treated her that evening...all because he'd gotten sick of being lonely.

What if he didn't get a chance to hold her again, tell her he was drowning in guilt? Losing her would kill him.

He didn't even have his cards with him, to occupy his hands. All he had on was a pair of sweatpants. He'd been pulled rather suddenly from his bed by the news.

"Stormy, you tell him he better fucking move! I will take this whole goddamn house down if that's what it takes!"

"I am not going to allow you to upset her any further tonight, Remy. You are a raging drunk at the moment..."

"And you smell like sex," Wolverine growled, having appeared rather suddenly in his bedroom doorway. He leaned with his shoulder against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest in annoyance. "Trust me, Gumbo, if there's one thing any woman can pick up, it's the scent of another woman."

The Cajun's eyes narrowed, flashing red in Logan's direction. He pointed at Wolverine briefly, in accusatory fashion. "You stay outta this. Ain' none of your concern. You ain' her father!"

Wolverine tipped his head off to one side, studying Gambit with a frightening, cool intensity. "So I've noticed. Wasn't Jubilee's father, either. But sometimes when a kid like that doesn't have anyone they can depend on, they turn to the strangest people..."

"Shut up!" Gambit yelled back at him, taking two large, angry treads in Logan's direction.

A loud 'shnikt' sound was all that was heard in the hallway as the Wolverine popped his claws, studying them absently as though he were doing something as ordinary as examining his nails for dirt. "Don't make me gut you, Gumbo. Crazy as it sounds, your kid might actually miss you."

"Would take you with me, Logan," Remy threatened.

The shorter man smiled, and it wasn't kind. "Care to see if you're fast enough to kinetic me into oblivion, Slick? Or are you just out here screaming because you wanna wake up your girl, and get her all wound up again? In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd think you wanted to kill her off tonight. Do you think maybe it'd be easier to fuck strange girls in the room next to your daughter's easier if she wasn't around to hear it anymore? Because, you know, I'll just bet that's what got her all upset in the first place..."

"Remy? Are you coming back to bed?"

All eyes turned toward the timid voice. Gambit's young 'guest' had walked up during the worst of the fighting. She was clad only in a bathrobe that she kept tightly pulled around her slight body. With them all looking at her, she seemed to withdraw into herself, as though she wished she were somewhere else.

"Be there soon, Jen," Gambit replied, his rancor suddenly gone.

She nodded, turning to quickly disappear back around the corner, presumably to wait for her companion in his bedroom.

The Cajun looked back over his shoulder at Cyclopes just long enough to say, "Be back at dawn, homme. She wake up for then, make damn sure somebody calls me."

"We will, Remy," Cyclopes assured him.

Just as Gambit turned to go, Wolverine cleared his throat, stopping the tall redhead dead in his tracks. "Just a suggestion, Gumbo, but ya might wanna tell the broad to take a hike, and catch a shower before you pass out for the night. Unless you want to give the kid more reason to be pissed at you." When he was finished, Logan slammed his door on the small gathering, and soon after Gambit continued on his way, stalking off to his living quarters.

Cyclopes sighed, turning to Ororo, who still stood with her arms crossed defensively over her chest. It was the only indication she was still upset by her friend's irrational actions. As was typical, her features gave no hints as to what her mood might be like.

"Well, that was certainly exciting," he said tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

Storm raised one eyebrow slightly, still staring off into space. "We will be lucky if there aren't parents calling in the next few days with complaints--and threats to pull their children out of the school after they hear about the kinds of things that we allow our teachers to get away with in the middle of a school night."

He shrugged his half-agreement. "If they call, we'll deal with it. Honestly, I think you're mostly angry with him because he promised you he'd quit pulling this shit. The Professor told me how hard you worked, to make him realize how...confrontational...he gets. It must've been a real struggle, to get him to stop."

"I don't think he even knows how bad he can be. I would like to believe he's justifiably angry now, being kept away from his daughter, but how could we be sure? This was always the hardest part, keeping him away from Sadi while he might, or might not have control of his temper. I was never sure what to do, having seen the things he's capable of."

A heavy silence fell over them after the older woman finished sharing her memories with the younger team leader, one that drew out while they both became lost in a haze of their own thoughts.

"So," he ventured at last. "Do you think he's going to kick the girl out tonight?"

Storm huffed sardonically, glancing over at him out of the corner of her eye. "If he doesn't, we're going to have a funeral by the end of the week."

The tiniest of grins tugged at the corners of Scott's mouth. "Taking bets on who would kill him first? What kind of odds do you think I could get on Sadi and Wolverine?"

The African goddess at last cracked a smile. "I'll give you two to one that Sadi would do the dirty deed, and three to one that Logan would sit off to the side critiquing her on style."

Cyclopes nodded, pretending to be very serious about considering that information as he rubbed his rough jaw line with one hand. "Put me down for twenty on Sadi now, and then call me with an update on those odds in the morning. If there's money to be made, I'm _all_ for it."

Ororo nodded absently, aware of Scott slowly trudging back to his quarters. "Cyclops" she called softly after him. He paused, looking back at her over his shoulder, slightly unnerved by how sad her eyes had suddenly become. "I trust you won't tell anyone, about how Remy was, back then? He left that life behind years ago, and I would never wish to resurrect it for him."

Scott nodded. "Of course," he said, his tone equally soft.


	8. A Brighter Morning

AN: Well, I guess this would be my frist response to the first flame I've ever gotten. I'll attempt to be calm and brief in addressing the issue that has been brought to my attention. If you don't want to read this, just skip down to the page break for the start of the next chapter, and more power to ya.

I understand that some people might think that I'm trying to lay out a story based on a girl's feud with her irresponsible father. That's not what this story is about in the least. Sadi, like all teenaged girls, had a bad day that some what stemmed from a small spat with a parent. Lack of sleep combined with a series of small, but nevertheless stressful, events overwhelmed her for a while, but once she's had a chance to sort herself out, she'll realize what's important and what isn't. I'm not trying to write a needy or whiny character. I am attempting to explore how frightening and overwhelming it would be for a sixteen year old girl to discover that she might have a mutation that would, in her mind, further separate her from the people she cares about. Especially since she's a girl who has seen first hand how such a mutation could potentially damage her life.

Oh yes, and last but not least, please notice that Logan and Remy aren't exactly friends at this point in the fic. They are going to take a lot of shots at each other that may or may not be called for. Thus Wolverine's comment about Gambit not being a dependable father.

Any other questions/flames are welcome as long as they are appropriate and relate to the story matter, as this one did. However, in the future I would appreciate it if an email address were left along with the flame so I'd have the opportunity to discuss any problems with my fic in greater depth with the flamer as opposed to having no other option besides responding in an AN.  
Thanks-the management

And now, chapter...what? Nine? Eight?

* * *

I woke up in my own bed sometime the next morning, still feeling wheezy and chilled, but at the same time...better. 

Upon turning over, I found my father sitting in a chair, his eyelids drooping over red-on-black colored eyes. I wondered how long he'd sat there, watching me sleep.

He smiled a bit when he saw I was awake. I could actually read his face, see the relief there. That probably wasn't a good sign. Typically Pop's face was too well guarded for any emotion to slip through. Habit of a thief, I suppose.

"Daddy?" I whispered, most definitely playing the sympathy card, in case he was still angry.

He slowly eased out of his chair, moving to sit on the edge of my bed so he could lean down and kiss me on the forehead. "Mornin', Petite. How ya feelin'?"

"Tired," I whispered back.

He shrugged. "Guess that's t' be expected."

I pulled the sheet a bit tighter around myself, staring at the wall instead of looking at him. "Sorry about skippin' class yesterday, Pop," I said morosely, hoping if I sounded pathetic enough I wouldn't get a lecture I didn't need. I knew I'd been wrong. I didn't need anyone to tell me. Besides, compared to my real problem, that part of the previous day seemed far away and insignificant.

His features instantly mirrored how I felt at that moment. So very, very sad. "S'okay, Cherie. Weren't all your fault anyway. Gambit jes was havin' a hard time the first day, an maybe took it out on Sadi. Should be me apologizin' t' you. I screwed up big time last night, and as far as I know, I'm supposed to be the adult 'round here. Least, that's what they keep tellin' me."

I half-listened to his little speech. Inside I was warring over whether or not it was the time to tell him about my...weakness. The one that couldn't be explained away as asthma. On the one hand, it was never going to be easy to tell him, but on the other hand, I felt like I'd worried him enough for one day.

"I got burned yesterday, when you were mad," I said suddenly, cutting him off.

He pulled himself up short from his rambling guilt trip, and stared at me stupidly. "What do ya mean, you got burned?" he asked, and I winced a little at the hint of dread he couldn't completely mask from his voice.

I slowly pulled my hair back, letting him see the slight mark. I couldn't meet his eyes. "It used to only tingle, sort of, when you'd touch my skin while you were mad, or emotional. One time Bobby grabbed me by the hands and swung me around while he was all excited about something, and it felt so cold...

"I just tried not tothink about it for so long, hoping it might go away, but it's not going away... It's getting worse. When you grabbed my face, and left a mark yesterday, I sort of freaked out. That was most of the reason why I had an asthma attack last night. I was really tired, and then everyone laughed at me, and I could've handled that, but this really scares me, Poppa. That was what I wanted to talk to you about last night. I don't want to end up like..." I stopped speaking at the hitch in my voice, right before I said her name.

"Like Rogue," he finished for me, and for the first time since I woke up I couldn't read his face or tone, even though he stared me in the eye without blinking.

I nodded. "I know that you and her, you really care about each other, and I know it must just kill you that you can't touch her. I mean, if you could, you guys would probably be dating, and I'd love it if you were. But the point is, I don't want to do that to you too, Pop. I always want you to be able to hug me, and wrestle around with me. We've always been really close, and you're all I've got, so if I lose that, I won't have nothin'."

He grabbed my shoulder suddenly, firmly. "Non, Sadi. I will always be there for you. Nothin' can come between the two of us. Not this, not anything. We go see Hank t'day, and see if he can work some o' that magic of his. If this is a new mutation, he'll know what to do. And if he don't, the Professor will. Rogue's the only mutant Remy's ever seen that had trouble learnin' to control her powers. Most everyone else jes needs a good teacher."

I nodded, afraid to say anything because I probably would've sobbed with relief if I'd tried to speak.

Suddenly I wasn't alone. Should've known that all along, but hearing it from Pop was like having the largest weight in the world lifted off my shoulders. So, that was why Wolverine had been so adamant about me telling someone. He must've known how it felt.

Pop ruffled my hair, then stood up, stretching like a big cat. "Gonna let you take a shower and get dressed, Chere. Jes make it quick."

"Then we're going down to Beast's lab?" I asked automatically.

Pop smirked, knuckling me gently on the chin. "Non, Fille. Then we gonna go for breakfast in town, and after that we gonna get Sadi her license. Oui?"

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "Don't I have school today?" I asked, slightly suspicious.

Dad laughed, slowly meandering towards his own room. "Be almost noon, Chere. Sides, Gambit already called ya in sick. We'll see if Beast'll write a note for ya, so you can get yer homework--jes as soon as we get back from runnin' errands."

I smiled a bit as he closed the door behind him, sighing a little with relief. I was breathing easier than I had for nearly twenty four hours, both figuratively and literally. And it felt good.


	9. Banana Split

* * *

Pop and I had a lot of fun that day. I could tell he was really trying to make up for everything he was feeling guilty for, so I tried to put on a good face for him, act like I was having the time of my life. Normally I would've been, too. I just couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that was slowly creeping back over me, darkening my insides like a plague. 

A whole laundry list of 'what ifs' were running through my mind as we sat across from each other in a booth at the local Dairy Barn, sharing a huge banana split between us.

I'd just gotten my license, and soon we'd be on our way back up to the mansion. On our way to Beast's lab... My stomach twisted a little more, and I found I couldn't do much more than pick at my half of the dessert. Pop wasn't doing much better. He too was merely pushing around the banana, fudge, and ice cream mixture, his jaw resting heavily on one fist.

Strangely enough I wondered if he too was worried about me, or if he was suffering from the effects of a hangover...

It was easier to tell myself that he was just hung over. Why else wouldn't he be up for ice cream? He loved it as much as I did. His lack of appetite couldn't be because he was afraid that one day I was going to end up completely cut off from him physically, could it?

I looked up at him, accidentally catching him staring at me. He quickly averted his eyes, sighing almost imperceptibly as he ran one hand through his flyaway auburn hair.

Shit. I was screwed.

"Yo' gonna be jes fine, Sadi," he said low, so no one around us might hear. Not that there was anyone around to hear. It was a weekday during school hours. The only person around was the little old lady at the cash register, and she was half deaf anyway. Not that any of that mattered to me at the moment. He might as well have yelled it for allI would've cared. It was just comforting to know that he couldalmostread my mind at that moment. But who was he really trying to reassure that I'd be okay? Me, or himself?

"I know, pop. I'm just scared. If I was lighting things on fire or making them randomly explode, I think I'd probably be fine. But no matter how I spin it, I can't figure this one out."

Remy moved the dish of ice cream aside, slowly dealing us both into a game of blackjack. "T' tell de truth, Gambit was kinda hopin' Sadi wouldn' have t' deal wit a mutation. Neva want some o' de t'ings dat happened t' Remy t' happen t' his li'l girl. Been all but hunted down like a dog an shot, jes fo' bein' what I am."

"Hit me," I said absently, watching as he laid another card down in front of me then pausing before taking one himself. "I'm not sure if I should be happy about it or not though, pop. I mean, I know what kinds of things happen to mutants. I've been witness to them all my life. But on the other hand, maybe if I was a mutant, I'd fit in better at the mansion. It's like I can never keep up with those other kids in anything. There always has to be a double standard set for me in everything, and sometimes they think the reason why the teachers go easy on me is cause you're my dad. They never stop to think that maybe it's hard to take a test when you don't have some method of helping yourself during it, like telepathy, or some other trick. They're afraid that if they hang out with me they might slip, say something bad about a teacher or something, and then I'm going to go tell you about it. Maybe if I was more like them..."

"Sadi, you won' neva be like dem," he cut me off, looking at me intently for just about the first time that afternoon. "Most of de kids we got in de school now, dey brats compared t' how it was when de Professor helped Gambit get a high school diploma. T'ings aren' de same anymo'. Not like dey was den. Back den, it was dangerous t' be a mutant. Now, it be almost trendy some places. De kids yo' growin' up wit don' understand dat. Some of dem are nice kids, but dey all naïve. Too worried 'bout t'ings dat don' really mean a hell of a lot in de long run. But, I suppose it ain' fair t' compare dem t' my brilliant fille, non?"

I laughed, and he briefly flashed me one of his most charming smiles, probably as happy to have actually pulled me out of my rut as I was to be momentarily out of it.

"Need a card, chere?" he asked peacefully as we resumed our game of blackjack.

By then I had a seven and a three lying face up in front of me, and I didn't have to look to know that my down card was an ace. Pop was mostly likely the best card shark on the east coast, he could pick the ace of spades out of a random deck in his sleep. It probably was possible that he could subconsciously let me win.

I shook my head. "Got twenty one already," I replied, pushing my cards toward him so he could take them and his own, leaning back on his side of the booth and shuffling the deck lazily.

"Anyt'ing else ya wanna do t'day, petite?" he asked, once again unable to look at me directly in the eye. For the briefest second I felt like the condemned being asked what I'd like for my last meal.

"Non, poppa. Think I jes wanna go get it ovah with," I admitted, slipping into the familiar accent he always used.

He nodded, and we both stood, looking at the mostly-melted tray of ice cream we were leaving behind, uneaten.

Pop smirked at me, a bit of the mischievous spark I knew so well returning once again to his gaze. "T'ink if we asked dem, dey would put it in a bag t' go fo' us, chere?"

In spite of myself I couldn't help but laugh a little, shaking my head at him as I took a step closer and hugged him, just appreciating the fact that I still could. For a second he hesitated, as though afraid to touch me, and I almost flinched. It was already beginning, he was already afraid that he might hurt me. But what he lacked at first in assurance, he soon made up for in pure fierceness during our short embrace.

My pop hugged me tight, tight enough to make sure I knew that he'd never let me go.


	10. Chillin' in the Lab

* * *

"Just hold still, and wiggle your fingers, and it'll all be over soon, Sadi," Jean assured me as she stuck what to me looked like a _huge_ needle in my arm to draw blood. 

I feigned almost fainting when it was over, going through the motions of performing my regular 'It's getting dark in here!' theatrics in an attempt to keep my mind off the reason I'd been in the lab for over an hour already.

While Jean merely smiled broadly, and shook her head at me while slapping a large neon-orange band-aid over the spot where the small pinprick was already fading from view, Pop actually laughed out loud at my melodramatic routine. That was typical of our rather complex father/daughter relationship. Most of the time, we didn't see each other very much, strange as it may seem, so when we did have a chance to hang out, we were buddies, best friends.

No one who knew us ever doubted that Remy was the parent, and I was the kid--but from the perspective of people who didn't know us, most of the time it didn't seem that way. I knew better though, always had, and always would. After all, why else would sir-master-thief himself have not left my side for one second the entire day? Even when Beast's tests had become long and tedious, he hadn't shown a single sign of getting bored, or wishing he were somewhere else. I'd never had a friend that dedicated. I wasn't even sure if _I _could be that dedicated to another person...

We both sat on one of the stainless steel table in the mansion's state-of-the-art laboratory, our legs dangling off the near side. I could see Pop needed some sleep, but I knew better than to suggest it to him. He would merely insist that he was fine, and tease me about liking Bobby Drake, or some boy in my class whose name he could actually remember. In turn, I would begin teasing him about liking Rogue, or Jean, or even Storm if I really felt brave. We'd volley back and forth until someone got annoyed, and told us two 'kids' to take it somewhere else.

Beast finally tore himself away from his test tubes and beakers and turned to us, smiling, looking more than a slightly comical in his reading glasses, and big white lab coat. "Well, I believe that should do it for now, Miss. Lebeau. Unless you would _like_ to stay for hours and hours while I study your various tissue samples under a microscope while taking notes on my observations, you're free to go."

I tried to smile, but the muscles in my face failed me half-way through as I looked at my big furry doctor standing just a handful of steps away. "Am I going to be okay, Mr. McCoy?" I asked hesitantly, not absolutely sure I wanted to know his answer.

Beast chuckled, walking over to me.

Standing in front of me, he took on a mock-serious air that made me blush and smile at the same time. It took me a god awful lot of energy not to burst out laughing as Hank placed his stethoscope against my nose, listening intently, and 'Mm, hming' every now and then. He checked me for fever, placing the back of his hand against my forehead, and tried to look in my ear with a tongue depressor. Finally, after two minutes of his extremely successful attempts at making me laugh until I cried, he stepped back, his regular confident, reassuring smile returning.

"My girl, you have color in your cheeks, a constant body temperature, and working air passages. In my professional opinion, I believe you will survive at least one more day. If we can get you through until Friday, I'm sure it'll be smooth sailing from there. To assure that you do make it until Friday, I have taken the liberty of writing you two notes. One to give to your regular teachers, and one to give to our lovable semi-canine self-defense instructor. I want to make sure he takes it easy on you, for at least a day or two, Sadi. I don't want you suffering an attack so far away from the school. Especially with your habit of leaving your inhaler everywhere but the place you need it most, which would preferably be where you could reach it at any moment in time."

I was about to groan, but I felt Pop's elbow in my ribs. "Prolly a good idea, chere. Ya need t' take it easy. Just for a few days. By this weekend you should be well enough t' make up time with Wolverine."

I glared at him, ever so slightly annoyed--yet in the back of my mind I knew he was right.

It wasn't like my look hurt his feelings by any means. The slightly evil shine in his eyes, and the smirk he couldn't quite keep off his face told all. Secretly, he was pleased he had an excuse to minimize my contact with Logan, for a while at least. The two of them had clashed for years outside of my presence. I wasn't exactly sure why, since they were both rule benders most of the time, and it had always seemed to me that they should get along just fine. But they didn't. For a while I'd wondered if perhaps they were conflicting over Marie, seeing as Wolverine had been semi-close to her at one time, and as far as I knew, Pop had tried to be.

However, when Rogue had actually returned to the X-Men over two years before, the friction between them had held steady. Neither increasing, nor decreasing. But perhaps that was because Rogue, to her credit, had thus far shown little to no interest in either man.

The biggest joke in the whole thing was that they both thought I didn't know they hated each other. In my presence, they either avoided the subject, or outright denied knowing what I was talking about. I would almost fall down laughing as my Pop would attempt to explain away his 'feelings' towards Wolverine in a 'Honey, someday you're going to find out that some adults may not always get along, but that's okay because they're adults and have the maturity to work with people they don't always agree with,' type of manner.

It was just one of a hundred obvious things around the mansion that everyone knew about, yet nobody mentioned.

"Okay," I relented, rolling my eyes a little. "Besides, it's not like missing a couple days of beating on my punching bag could possibly put me any farther behind than I already am."

Pop patted me gently on the back. "That's right, chere," he teased mildly, making sure I stayed in a good mood.

He didn't have to worry. Between him and Beast trying to keep my spirits up, I was cool with having to sit out during self defense, and with whatever was going on with my DNA. For the moment, at least...

I hopped down off the table. It was quite a bit farther drop for me than it was for dad. I thanked Beast, called a thanks back to Jean, who was in a back room processing my blood sample, and then Pop and I turned to go, heading toward the subbasement's elevator together.

Just before we reached it, Beast called after us. "It almost slipped my mind, Remy, but I meant to ask you if you'd like your hand x-rayed. It was mentioned to me by a certain leader of ours that you had a small accident in the midst of the excitement last night."

We paused, and I looked at dad questioningly, just catching him in the act of deftly shoving both hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. "Non, Hank. My hand be fine. Thanks anyway," he said, before quickly turning and resuming course toward the exit.

When we were alone on the elevator, on our way up to the main floor, he shifted noticeably, drawing a coffee stirrer out of an inner pocket and carefully placing it between his teeth. "Been thinkin', chere," he began, having to speak up a bit so I'd be able to hear him over the hum of the elevator.

I snickered. "Well that's certainly not a common occurrence."

As usual, he totally and completely ignored my sarcastic comment, subconsciously searching his pockets for a lighter he didn't carry with him anymore. "Was wonderin' if maybe Sadi would want to practice self defense with her old man instead of with a punching bag."

My eyes almost popped out of my head. "Are you freaking serious?" I asked, just sure he would laugh at me in another second and tell me he was just messing with me.

"Watch yo language. An yes, I'm dead serious 'bout teachin you how t' beat the fuck outta any kid in Logan's class. Reckon Sadi's old enough now. An if your really good, chere, I might even teach you how t' fight with a staff."

I threw my arms around him, squeezing him tight. "I'll make ya proud, Pop, you'll see. This is gonna be SO awesome! When do we start, huh? Can we start today? Right now?" I couldn't help but grin, looking up at him. I was so excited to actually get to use everything I'd ever learned from Wolverine on a real person!

Pop laughed. "Take it easy, petite. You gettin' big, and yo Poppa ain't exactly the young man he used t' be."

I let him go, rolling my eyes a bit, but still unable to hold still with all the fresh energy that was pulsing through me.

"Jes one condition, Sadi..."

"I can't use what you teach me on anyone who isn't trying to kill me?" I volunteered quickly, completely deadpan.

Dad shrugged, as though slightly unnerved by my eagerness to learn how to hurt people. "Mo' o' less," he replied as the doors of the elevator opened.

When I turned to exit the small car ahead of my Pop, I found myself face-to-face with an extremely pissed-off looking Wolverine.


	11. Going for the Record

* * *

I stopped dead in my tracks just before running into Wolverine, my jaw a little slack because it had been some time since I'd seen ANYONE looking _that_ mad. He glanced toward me, still glowering, but for the most part he kept his eyes firmly locked on my dad. 

"Professor wants to see ya, Sadi," he growled harshly, but I got the feeling his anger wasn't meant for me. He pushed past dad, getting on the elevator and practically shoving Remy out after me.

I looked at dad, crossing my arms over my chest and raising one eyebrow in question.

Pop just smiled at me, raising his hands a bit as if he were innocent. "What? Am I supposed t' know what his problem is? Sheesh, could be jes about anything..."

I tilted my head a bit to one side. "Do you two seriously think you're fooling me, Pop? I _can_ see you _might_ just hate each other more than a little bit, you know."

Dad slung an arm around my shoulders, casually turning us both in the direction of the Professor's office. "Na, Sadi, it ain' like that. Wolverine and Gambit go way back. Waaay back. Did I ever tell you about the time Remy saved Logan's life?"

"I'll bet he loved you for that," I mentioned sarcastically, knowing it was too late. It didn't matter if I wanted to hear the story or not, I was going to hear it. Probably for the five millionth time in my life...

"So anyway, there we were, about t' go head to head with the bad guys. This was before Sadi was even born..." he emphasized, having gone into story-telling mode with voice tones, hand motions, the works.

"Naturally," I supplied at the correct point in time, narrowing my eyes slightly in fake fascination. All the best of my dad's adventures took place before he had me, after all. That was his license to embellish and exaggerate. If I hadn't been born yet, who was I to call him on it?

"So, anyway, there we were..."

Thank God we were almost to the Professor's office...

* * *

"Ah, Remy, Sadi! Please, sit down. Make yourselves comfortable," the Professor invited warmly as we entered his office, just barely looking up from the papers he was reading. 

I sat down, and Pop sat down next to me, slouching down in his seat while I sat with my back straight. I almost laughed out loud. I wouldn't have needed many guesses to figure out which one of _us_ had spent more time being lectured in that office.

Having straightened out his various papers, and flown a file or two onto his desk from a file cabinet located on the far wall, Professor Xavier finally addressed me. "I'm glad to see that you're feeling better, my dear. I trust I will be seeing you in class tomorrow?" he asked, smiling gently at me.

I couldn't help but smile back. The Professor just had that effect on most people, I guess. He was probably the most genuine person I'd ever known. When he asked how you were feeling, he really wanted to know. He didn't just ask because it was expected of him. I'd long suspected that was the reason why he was so good at convincing kids to leave their homes and lives behind to attend his school. Looking into those wise, friendly eyes, you just got that feeling like Xavier was a man who would always be in your corner, fighting for you. He'd always have all the answers you'd ever need when things went wrong.

I nodded. "Plannin' on being there, Professor. And I'm sorry about skipping half a class yesterday," I added quickly. That was the other thing about Xavier. He had an air about him of knowing everything that went on around him, especially in his school. He _was_ a telepath, after all...and my approach to handling that was to confess everything I felt guilty about the first chance I got, before I could get in trouble for it.

To my surprise, he laughed at my sudden admission. "That's quite all right, Miss. Lebeau. Storm explained to me exactly what happened, and from the sound of it, you put on quite an entertaining performance. She didn't think you deserved to be punished, considering that she released the rest of your classmates shortly after you made your exit."

"Heh, _now_ you tell me," I emphasized, rolling my eyes slightly at how stupid the whole thing looked in hind sight.

"Indeed," the Professor replied, still chortling slightly over my humiliation as he picked up the file on his desk. Strangely enough, when Xavier laughed at me, it always _felt_ like he was laughing _with_ me. From his casual, often laid-back perspective, almost anything could appear to be slight and comical. I suppose when compared with the prospect of the world possibly coming to an end, me skipping class _was_ rather slight and comical...

I mimicked sighing with relief. "Well, at least that's one less detention I'll have to look forward to this year. Although I have considered going for the record, you know. Most detentions assigned in an academic year. I figure that way I'll become an urban legend instead of the proclaimed 'teacher's pet,'" I half-joked.

I was serious in that going for the record _had_ crossed my mind. I just doubted I had the mental endurance to withstand spending more than an hour or two at a time cleaning chalkboards, and doing other various odd jobs for teachers. Things like that were far too tedious for me.

The Professor arched one eyebrow as he leaned forward, handing me the file in his hand. "A lofty goal, to be sure. What _is_ the standing record for detentions in an academic year, Remy?"

Pop was still sitting slouched down in his chair, spinning the coffee stirrer he was chewing on between two fingers. Without missing more than half a beat, he shifted a bit, briefly removing the straw from his mouth as he prepared to answer the question. "Believe it be ninety six detentions across two school semesters, but I'm jes guessin'," he replied smoothly. A bit too smoothly for my liking.

"And who would be the former holder of that record, if Sadi were to break it?" the Professor prodded, obviously very amused at whatever in-joke the two of them where sharing.

My Pop just smiled as wide as the Cheshire cat. "Gambit seems t' recall it was a tall, good-lookin' scamp. I wonda sometimes what ever happened t' that kid."

"Yes, I wonder," I chimed in sarcastically, eyeing my dad with all the annoyed malice I could muster. You couldn't teach someone to have an ego like his...

The Professor and my dad merely laughed, briefly, remembering those good times for a moment or two before Xavier decided it was well past time to return to the business at hand. His attention quickly turned back to me. "All the information you'll need for your classes and all your first homework assignments have been collected into that file I just handed you, Sadi. I trust that since it's now in your possession, you'll be eager to look at it?"

I shrugged. "Not really, but if it would mean I can go watch cartoons now, I'm all for it."

With an exaggerated sigh, the Professor nodded. "If that is your wish, be gone then, my student. Go and rot your brain to your heart's content. I'm sure the things your father and I need to speak of would merely bore you to tears anyway."

I smiled as I stood to leave, and he smiled back to ensure I would know his teasing was all in good fun.

"I suppose I'll be back here when the results from Beast's tests come in," I said softly.

"All in good time," he replied, a very serene, grandfatherly expression on his face. "Now go outside, play, enjoy your youth. There won't be many more days like this that will be fit for swimming."

He didn't have to tell _me_ twice! I bolted out the door as fast as I could, all the fun, crazy things I could do with the rest of my day racing through my head.

The only problem was, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do first.


	12. Office Hours

* * *

As soon as the door had closed behind Sadi's retreating back, Gambit slouched a bit farther down in his seat, not feeling half as good as he had when he'd had his daughter to hid behind. Not that he should've felt the need to use her as a shield with the Professor--but there were times when that boy who served all those detentions so long ago surfaced, just long enough to make him feel uneasy under the scrutiny of authority. 

Xavier's smile had somewhat faded, but his mood was not unpleasant as he regarded Remy. All the Professor's students where like his own children to some degree. He loved them each as individuals, and appreciated the gifts they had, wary to be unforgiving of the talents they lacked. Gambit had never been an exception, especially since the only other family he'd ever known had driven him from their midst without question, or a chance of forgiveness. In fact, if anything, Remy had almost become something of a favored son since he'd brought the first second-generation student to the mansion, and had begged Xavier while nearly in tears to help him raise her.

Raise her the way she deserved to be.

"I just spoke with Wolverine, Remy," he finally began.

Gambit shrugged, gently tugging on the straw he was holding firm between his back teeth. Damn what he wouldn't have given for a cigarette right then... "Figured that much. Not much other reason why Logan would be goin' down t' the subbasement, pissed as hell."

"Yes, I would imagine. I just wanted to make sure you knew that upon reading Scott's report this morning, I found Logan's actions last night to be unacceptable. I wish I could say he regretted what he said to you, but he made it quite clear he doesn't now, and nor shall he ever."

Remy shrugged. "Ain' no big deal, Professor. I don't need no apology from Wolverine. Last night was last night. It be over now, an that's what counts."

"Agreed, but you do understand we are going to have to discuss last night, don't you?" Xavier asked, arching an eyebrow in that 'I know what you're thinking' expression that he'd always pulled off so well.

Gambit slouched down a bit more. "Guess so... Go 'head, shoot," he mumbled in relent, positive he wasn't going to enjoy this conversation.

The Professor refrained from speaking during a long, long moment of silence. He seemed content to study his specimen before picking him apart, making sure that he'd be asking the right questions. "How much of last night do you remember, Remy? Do you remember bringing the young lady home with you?"

"Bits an pieces of that been comin' back t' me today," he admitted, scratching his forehead lightly with one hand as he avoided the Professor's intent gaze. "Don' recall exactly where I met the girl. Remember comin' back to the mansion, remember Sadi sittin' on my bed, don't remember exactly what I said t' her, but if I did I'd probably regret it. Don' remember much following that, except for Stormy half-bustin' down my door, tryin' t' get me up, because Sadi needed her inhaler..."

"Do you remember being outside of Kitty Pryde's room, after Scott and Jean woke up to the shouting, and came to assist Storm in preventing you from seeing Sadi? Scott mentioned that they were concerned that perhaps they should've let you go to her. In hindsight, they thought perhaps if you'd been allowed to see she was indeed going to be all right, you might've been more compliant. But, they were reluctant to do that considering they had no idea how much you'd been drinking. Knowing your reputation, I told them I was sure you'd understand their position..."

The tall Cajun finally sat up, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, rubbing his face with his hands. "Merde, that don't sound good. Was I the one yellin'?"

"Screaming, actually. Physically and mentally."

"Was good then, that I didn' see her. Sadi can't stand me when I'm like that. Don' blame her, really. From what I've heard, when Gambit's been drinkin' too long, he gives meaning t' the term 'Ragin Cajun.' I promised Sadi and Storm I wouldn' drink anymore. The last time, when I hit Sadi...I never forgave myself. Shoulda been shot for dat," he said almost to himself, casting a tired gaze to the floor.

Xavier nodded, but not necessarily in agreement, merely in the shared recollection of that dark time in all of their lives. "It was one of many moments in the history of the X-Men we would all rather forget. I hope you know that, Remy. You were not alone in the mistakes you made. Sadi was not seriously hurt during the incident, and you must accept that she has long since forgiven you and moved on. Since then, she's gained her father back after years of watching him slowly drown himself in alcohol. As far as I can tell, she believes it was worth a small bruise."

Gambit let his jaw rest on one fist. "Worry 'bout dat sometimes, Professor. I worry Sadi feels like Gambit's all she's got, so no matter what I do, she's got t' forgive me. I don' let on, but I know what them kids say about her when they think no one's listenin'. They mutants, she ain't. An now she might be one too, or she might not. Don't really matter, because it's too late. Kids in a school this size, you know what they're like. Can't help but wonder if it'd be better for Sadi to go to high school in town. She got her license now, and it ain't too far. Maybe then she'd have a chance t' make some friends more like her."

"Perhaps. You've been thinking about this for a while?"

Gambit shrugged. "Jes since she turned thirteen or so, and still didn't have more than a few friends her age, and hadn' developed a mutation. She be sixteen now, I guess. Might be about time I suggested it t' her. It would be hard, though...for Remy t' let his baby girl go out t' face the world alone," he said, pretending to pout a little at the idea.

The Professor chuckled, but his expression soon turned serious again. "I won't keep you much longer, Remy. I just need to ask you a few more questions. For one..."

Gambit stood up abruptly, walking over to a bookshelf and pretending to have an acute interest in it. Slowly he traced along a binding with one finger, walking along and tracing over everything with a feather-light touch. The Professor merely waited, recognizing the signs of a man deep in his own whirlpool of thought.

"Know that I fucked up, Professor. Shoulda known better than to bring some strange woman here with me. Knew it would hurt Sadi, did it anyway. Knew it was against the rules, did it anyway. Not the first time it's happened, but I promise it'll be the last. I ain't a teenager no more, I jes think I am sometimes. Got responsibilities I can't ignore. To Sadi, first. Then t' the students. Then t' the team. Put them all in danger last night for my own selfish reasons, so I figure that whatever Logan said t' me was prolly well earned, on my part at least," Gambit alleged, never once glancing in Xavier's direction to look for a reaction. It was obvious he wasn't proud of what he'd done.

"We haven't passed judgment on you based on one night, Remy. We are your family, and we are still here for you. Some of us perhaps a bit more than others, but nevertheless, here we are. As long as you understand why that sort of thing must be kept at a distance from this place, and I know you do, then there isn't anything more we need to discuss. I know you appreciate our attempts to keep up a healthy environment for our students to learn and grow in. You understand the security risks associated with bringing people here who might not be ready to accept the things they would see or experience.

"We all know things are better today, for mutants, largely because of the efforts and the sacrifices of the X-Men. On the surface, society appears to be accepting the integration. But just below the surface, the fear, the jealousy, even hatred still lurks, casting a shadow over all of us. For our students, for our children, we cannot take any unnecessary risks. I know you are a gambler, Gambit, and a fine one. You play the odds in your favor. Odds were better than good that any girl you met last night and brought here would never pose a threat to this school, or any of the mutants associated with it. However, as I believe we have all discovered through the most painful of experience, and the harshest of betrayals, if one gambles enough times, the House may well take all we have. Believe me when I tell you, Remy Lebeau, that while the boy I took in so many years ago had nothing, he has grown into a man who has a great deal to lose."

Staring blankly out the window at the kids playing in the pool, Gambit nodded. "Feels like I've lived my whole life here. The parts of that count, anyway. This place be safe for me, and for my daughter. Been t' a lot of other places, and couldn't say that about none of them. Jes was feelin' lonely, an sorry for myself. That's the worst part, I guess. Didn' even have a good reason for doin' it."

"I have faith that if there is a problem, given time, you will manage to work it out, Remy. Just don't forget that there are people here willing to help, if you ask them. Just so you know, I've taken you off of active duty for the rest of the week. Not as punishment, just in light of the situation with Sadi. I thought you would want extra time with her now," the Professor emphasized, concern lining his face.

Remy nodded, turning and crossing the room, preparing to leave. He _needed_ a cigarette, and a little time to himself to think things through. "Thanks for that, mon ami," he said, on his way out the door. He knew that the meeting was finished when the Professor didn't call him back from his slow walk out of the office.

For that much, he was exceedingly grateful.


	13. Sittin on the Dock of a Bay

* * *

He sat on the far side of the roof, where it was least likely he'd be seen smoking by his daughter's sharp eyes. She'd chew him a new one if she knew. It amused him, how much she worried about him sometimes. She would very conveniently forget he'd survived almost completely on his own for some twenty odd years before she came into his life. Still, because he knew she only bothered and harassed because she loved him, for the most part Gambit acquiesced to her demands without a fight. But at the same time, it was good for him to go up on the mansion's roof alone once in a while, allowing the beautiful view and warm breeze to drift him away while doing something he _knew_ she wouldn't approve of. 

He was only a bit surprised when Bobby Drake thudded down hard beside him. "Hey-ya, Remy," he greeted cheerfully, handing the Cajun thief a Pepsi he'd snagged from the fridge, then popped the tab on his own.

"Hey-ya, yo'self, Drake," Gambit replied carefully. "How'd ya know Remy would be up here tonight?"

Bobby shrugged. "Everyone comes up here sometimes to smoke, drink, or sulk away from the prying eyes, ears, and in some cases the minds of our almighty leaders. Just thought you were due for a visit, and since misery likes company, I thought I'd join ya."

Gambit merely chuckled, expertly tapping the top of his soda with his index finger before opening it, so he wouldn't get sprayed. "An o' course, Iceman so miserable he can hardly stand it, oui?"

Bobby shrugged, sipping his cola. "Eh, I hide it well."

The two men sat in a comfortable silence for a time, watching as the sun slowly set over the rich foliage of trees and the dark hills in the distance.

"Hey, Gambit. How do you do it?"

Remy had long since reclined so he laid on his back on the roof's incline, one hand behind his head as he soaked in the view from his relaxed position. He casually waved the hand he held his cigarette with in Bobby's general direction. "Elaborate, mon ami. How does Remy do what?"

Bobby picked absently at a loose shingle, as though reluctant to explain. "You know. How did you get to be so responsible? It's been so long since the days when the two of us caused trouble right and left, and not a single person around this place was stupid enough to take us seriously. Especially when we got into it over Rogue."

Gambit snorted. "Ha! If you think Remy's gone respectable, then you must've missed last night's exciting episode. Lucky I ain't in Xavier's dog house right now," he asserted, sitting up and grabbing his soda so he could finish it off.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I heard about last night. But that's not the kind of thing I mean. That was an isolated incident, and you're still in with the rest of the team. You're still on the 'trusted' list. They actually let you teach the kids, and seriously interact with them. All I get to do is grade homework for you guys, because no one trusts me to take anything seriously, except being an X-Man. I'm fine with that as long as no one's getting in my face, and telling me to grow up, but sometimes..."

"Listen, Bobby. Remy don't know exactly where you're goin' with this, but he prolly has a pretty good idea. Gambit changed because he didn' have no choice. One day somebody knocked on my door, and when I looked out into the hall, there in a basket was all the reason in the world for me t' change. Not that it happened over night. Things like that--they take their sweet time, ya know what I mean?"

Bobby looked at him for the first time with sad, crystal blue eyes. "I know that Sadi was your reason, Gambit. What I want to know is how did you do it alone? How did you become a teacher and a father, and still hold it all together? I can't hold it together for just me, and it's not like I'm a teenager anymore..."

Gambit leaned back again, so he was lying down, and took a drag off his cigarette. "Sounds t' Remy like you're frustrated 'bout somethin' that be beyond your control, Iceman. Something happen today that you wanna share?"

Bobby shrugged. "I guess. I mean, _I _didn't think it was that big of a deal, but I sort of got into it with Havok during a training session this morning. I guess you know I'm not quite over those not-quite rational feelings that he's stolen my girl out from under me...twice..."

Red-on-black eyes studied him critically. "Bobby, you tellin' me you got in a fight wit Alex Summers? Yo' team leader?"

Bobby noticeably shrank into himself. "Um, well, sort of, I guess..."

Upon seeing his reaction, Gambit grinned mischievously, cocking his head a bit to the side. "Did ya win?" he drawled.

Iceman sighed with relief, forcing himself to laugh. So maybe there was still one place within the mansion where little things didn't _always_ have to get blown out of proportion. "I got in my shots. Don't know if I would've won or not, because Warren broke us up before we really got into it. God those guys drive me nuts. They're both so 'holier than thou' all the time, because they're supposed to be our 'role models.' Only in the X-Men would we need role models this long after graduating from high school."

Gambit shrugged. "Could be worse, mon ami. Coulda been the other Summers you got in a scrap with. At least you won't get no lecture from Havok. Cyclops woulda made sure both your ears had been talked off before he woulda let ya off the hook. Alex, he know how t' let things go."

"Suppose you're right about that much," Bobby agreed, draining the last of his soda.

"Is this the 'bash your team leader' party?" Someone asked from above and behind them.

Gambit smirked, looking up at the tall, but slim man, standing near the top of the roof. "That depends, Sammy. You bein' all tight with Warren the Angel, we might just say 'no' and let you be on your way so we won't get in no trouble..."

Cannonball laughed as he walked down and sat on the opposite side of Bobby. "You are trouble itself, 'Gumbo.' You just think you're so funny..."

Remy raised one eyebrow as he propped himself up on one elbow. "Remy don' think, homme, he _know_. Sides, this right here be a therapy session for the lost and confused _X-Man_. Don' know if your benefits cover that, seein' as originally you was in X-Force, Sam."

Cannonball only shrugged. "You know the rules, no one can hog the roof. It's about the last place around here us Average Joes can go to get away from it all. And by _it all,_ I mean girls, Xavier, squad leaders dating your little sister..."

"Wolverine," Bobby finished, looking up over his shoulder at the approaching square-shouldered mutant.

A silence fell over them as Logan approached. He growled softly, averting his eyes away from them as he took a seat ten feet away from the trio, pretending like he didn't notice they were staring at him. He took out a cigar, and attempted to light up, but upon searching his pockets, found he was all out of matches.

Before he could get a good cussing fit rolling, Remy took pity on him, pulling out his lighter. "Heads up, Wolvie," Gambit warned before tossing over the silver object. Logan caught it easily enough, but looked at it suspiciously, reluctant to use it.

"This is a no-grudge-holding zone, Logan. Rules of the roof. If a guy can't go somewhere around here where he isn't going get his balls busted, then one of these days someone's bound to crack up and kill everyone," Sam reminded him.

After another moment of hesitation, Wolverine shrugged, and lit his cigar before casually tossing the lighter back to the Cajun. For the moment, a truce had been called, and a peaceful silence hung over the four men. That place on the roof was, after all, reminiscent of the break room in their lives. Seeing as their jobs as X-Men never relented, never gave them any real time off, it had become something of a holy sanctum over the years.

Every once in a while, at the end of the day, one or two, or sometimes even a whole group of them could be found sitting on the roof, just as though they were on vacation, sitting out in the sun on a dock on the San Francisco Bay.

It was their time to be regular guys, not mutants, and defiantly not heroes.

After all, true blue-blooded heroes didn't shoot the breeze over a smoke and a card game. They didn't need to unwind or relax. Cyclops had never visited their 'break room,' nor had Warren or Beast in all the years they'd been gathering there, from high school on. So when they were there, that night and any other, they sat together not as a team, not as friends, but as a family that had been through it all together, and survived.

Most importantly, they took some much needed time out of the day to reflect on other guys, the other good-fellas who'd shared their rooftop and their lives, their stories, and their hardships in the past. They took time to remember those guys who hadn't been so lucky. The guys who'd never be up there with them again.

Those memories of fallen X-Men were often more than enough to sooth away the worst of tribulations--any and all resentment that tried to wedge itself between them. Even if it was only temporary, it often served as a welcome break from the trials of their daily battles.

"I need a girlfriend," Bobby finally moaned, rubbing his face with his hands and further ruffling his already messy hair. The other three laughed at how boyish he was, and at the fact that he was still the class clown among them after so many years.

"Girls ain' nothin' but trouble," Sam attempted to reassure him.

"Ain't that the truth," Logan agreed, taking a draw on his cigar.

All four of them sighed, resigning to merely sit back and watch the oncoming darkness.


	14. Good to See You

AN: School's finally over and since I finally got a few ideas for this story I think I'm going to take a stab at continuing it. So, here's hoping that it goes well.

* * *

My stomach was growling by late evening. I hadn't gone down to eat supper, having fallen asleep on my bed while trying to do my homework. Alex Summers, Cyclops' younger brother, was the only other person in the kitchen when I entered. I was intent on raiding the fridge first and foremost; studying the tall, handsome blonde with shy sideways glances was secondary.

It was always strange for me, to be the only kid who truly lived permanently at the mansion. I'd grown up surrounded by adult or nearly-adult men who weren't related to me, and a number of crushes had resulted throughout the years. Bobby Drake was the obvious one, especially since the two of us often carried on an easy banter that was both comfortable and familiar. I've loved him since I was seven years old, and only in the past few years had that crush slowly faded into an emotion more comfortable for me to bear.

Sam Gutherie, or Cannonball, had been next, followed closely by my current obsession with Havok. At the rate I was going, I supposed by the time I went off to college, I'd probably have chased just about every blonde male in the mansion; and hopefully not a single one of them would ever know about it...

I was very secretive about my crushes. Pop had known I liked Bobby for the longest time. Everyone had, not surprisingly, but that had been different, more like puppy love on my part. I'd been too young for it to be a big deal. Yet, as I'd grown older, I'd gotten better at hiding my feelings for guys, keeping them on the down low. Habit of a thief's daughter, I suppose.

Alex's hand brushed mine as he reached for an ice tray in the freezer while I reached for a TV dinner. I hadn't even noticed he'd come up behind me, and I tried to pretend I wasn't phased in the least.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, half laughing, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

Havok smiled grimly at me, taking the tray he was after, and going over to sit down at the table. The guy seemed rather down and out, overly serious even for a Summers. No wonder, up close he looked like he'd gotten into a fight with a meat hook. And lost...

While I was microwaving my meal, I watched him take several ice cubes and put them in a plastic Ziploc bag, wrap the plastic in a paper towel and then smack it onto his left eye. He almost winced against the cold, his entire back tensing before he relaxed into the chill that would reduce the puffiness distorting his nearly-perfect features.

"Have an accident in the danger room?" I asked, attempting to sound casual.

I hoped I mixed in just the right amount of amusement and concern so he wouldn't get the impression I was making fun of him. The last thing I wanted was for him to think of me as a bratty kid who asked too many questions. I didn't know him that well, since he'd only come to stay at the mansion on a semi-permanent basis in the past year or so. That was the other thing about my crushes. They had, on more than one occasion, simply disappeared out of my life without a trace. I'd found in almost every case, it was a particularly difficult thing to recover from.

He turned to look at me over one shoulder with his good eye, casting me a lifeline in the form of a slight smile. "You might say that," he finally responded.

I finished nuking my dinner, then took it over so I could sit across from him while I ate. "So tell me about it," I insisted before taking a bite of my near-cardboard tasting food.

He only shook his head. "You're funny, Sadi. I always thought you'd turn out to be the quiet type. Sometimes I think your dad's a firm believer in the saying 'curiosity killed the cat.'"

I nodded slightly, considering his logic. It was true. To the average man, my dad did appear to be unusually oblivious to all that went on around him. Until you got to know him well, you never realized he simply relied on his own skills of observation to tell him whatever he wanted to know, as opposed to asking questions.

"You'll make a good lawyer someday," I informed Alex when I'd finished chewing.

My off-the-cuff comment snared his full attention, and he laughed, looking slightly confused. "Why do you say that?" he asked, still smiling just a little, in spite of how much it looked like it hurt his face.

I shrugged, replying simply, "Because lawyers are good at changing the topic away from questions they don't want to answer."

Again he laughed. Yet another point scored by me.

"Who told you _that_?" he asked jokingly.

I shrugged, poking my food absently with my fork. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I informed him. I was probably right about that much. He _wouldn't _believe me if I told him.

The rest of the time we spent sitting there passed in a semi-comfortable silence. At last Havok decided he needed to go speak with the Professor, but I wasn't sure if he merely said it to excuse himself, or not. I'd never had the Professor or anyone else communicate with me telepathically.

One of my many quirks was an 'unnaturally' guarded mind, similar to my father's. Without Cerebro, psychics were rarely able to detect my presence. And because of that particular talent, I'd walked in on more than my share of heated debates between a psychic and another X-Man or student that anyone else never would've had the opportunity to witness. Hank had yet to discover the reason for the phenomenon, but had explained it to me as a 'normal abnormality.' I just happened to have inherited a mixture of genetics that made me particularly impervious to mutant psychics without actually possessing a mutation of my own. It was the only strength I'd inherited from my father, and even though I couldn't control it, I was grateful for it.

I had a hard time always thinking that I was weaker than everyone around me.


	15. Say GoodBye

AN: Eeks, it's definitely been a while for this story. I have plans for it, I really do! Reading back on past chapters I've decided I don't like my version ofRemy's accent very much, so I'll probably go back and tone it down. From now on it'll be minimized so the dialogue isn't so choppy. Thanks for reading, by the way!

* * *

He came back late from sitting on the roof, sneaking in to check on his little girl, to see if she'd fallen asleep, or stayed up late doing homework. She was up late, reading a science fiction book from the library, so engrossed she didn't notice him walk into her room from the bathroom. 

"Good book, chere?" he asked, standing right next to her bed. She started at his words, obviously surprised.

"Holy shit, Pop! What're you, trying to give me a heart attack? This alien was just about to suck out this guy's brain, and I was all caught up in it!"

Gambit chuckled, taking the book from her hands as he sat down next to her, pulling her under his free arm. He skimmed the book's blurb, and when he finished he turned to her, looking at her critically and he shaking his head, "Non, this ain't good at all. You read this shit it'll give you nightmares, fille. Then Remy'll have Sadi climbing in t' bed with him in the middle of the night, and hoggin' all the covers..."

"Dad!" she groaned, giggling but embarrassed at the suggestion she would do something so childish. She hid her face against his chest, hugging him with arms that only in the past few years had grown long enough to reach all the way around him. Remy sighed, letting his jaw rest on the top of her head. His baby girl was growing up, and he wasn't sure he liked the idea of it.

"Been thinking about something, chere," he said at last, rubbing her back softly with one hand in slow circles. Sadi pretended to snore, making her father laugh. "Remy be serious, fille. Was talking t' the Professor today about sendin' Sadi to public school in town. Maybe there, you'd feel like you belonged, with kids more like you."

The girl went absolutely still before slowly raising her head to look at him. "Are you serious, Pop?" she asked, her face set like stone.

Gambit nodded, looking her straight in the eye. "Oui, fille."

Sadi let her head once again come to rest on her father's shoulder. "When?" she asked.

He shrugged reluctantly in response. "Whenever you want, chere. Don't make much difference t' me. Would have t' call the school tomorrow. After that, it be up to you." He turned to look at her, smiling reassuringly. As expected, confusion clouded her face. She probably had no idea what she wanted to do with the option to leave the mansion.

He knew she didn't like it there--but he also knew she didn't remember living anywhere else.

At last she looked up at him, innocent eyes turning to him for guidance. "I don't know what I want to do. I mean, if I went to the public school, it could be just a trial sort of thing, right? To see if I like it?"

Remy nodded. "Oui, princesse. If you don't like it, wouldn't be no problem t' have you transfer back. No feelings would be hurt. The teachers here know better than anyone that people need t' try new things, go new places to see where they fit. Kids change just like everyone else. And you being here all the time might not be healthy for you."

Sadi nodded. "Okay. In that case, I think I'd like to transfer as soon as possible."

Remy smiled sadly. "That's what Gambit thought you'd say."

* * *

I hadn't told anyone. Didn't want to. Pop seemed to respect that. Even when the time came, I wasn't sure _I_ would personally go tell anyone. The Professor and my teachers knew, there weren't any of the other students worth telling...and then I realized that there was _one_ person I _had_ to tell myself. 

Logan.

It hit me just as I was lying out on the hillside, dreaming about school with normal kids. There wouldn't be any self-defense classes offered at my new school.

Slowly, I forced my body to get up, determined to envision myself with enough spine to go have a talk with my long-time sensei. It seemed like a good plan, until I realized I had no idea where he might be.

I wandered down to the basketball court, and stopped to watch some younger kids play. I mentally marked them between the ages of ten and thirteen. They had quite an aggressive game going. Breaking school rules, both teams used their mutant powers to get ahead. I knew better than to ask to play. The last time I'd decided to act so bold, I'd ended up in the hospital wing after nearly losing my vision to a solar flare. My sight took three days to return, and I had no intention of ever repeating the experience.

Besides, there remained something of a natural separation between me and them. When I passed by the kids standing on the sidelines, their cheery conversations ceased. They stared at me, some almost glaring.

I represented the enemy. A normal human accepted in typical human circles. They envied me for being average, and at the same time many of them looked down on me, because they considered themselves a higher race.

It never occurred to them that there were a million ways to be different from the common crowd. A lot of them practically grew up at Xavier's school. They'd become as sheltered as mutants can get. Most days, I didn't blame them for not liking me. If our roles had played out in reverse, I couldn't say for sure how accepting I'd be of a lone mutant after having grown up around normal humans. Of course, as a teenaged girl, I'm the first to admit I often have trouble maintaining an objective outlook on any situation. Emotion so easily gets in the way of reason.

When they thought I couldn't hear, they started whispering about me, or my dad, or both. I didn't bother to find out which. I'd be leaving soon, and then for part of the day they wouldn't be able to touch me. What bothered me most about living at the school was I never had the opportunity to really get away and be alone. True privacy couldn't be bought or earned there, not even during the summer.

* * *

I found him on his way back from one of his walks out in the countryside. I silently fell into stride next to him on the shady woodland trail. We walked on for some time before I finally pulled my shit together and said something. 

"I'm going to school in town. I'll visit tomorrow, and on Monday I'll start for real. I'll be gone probably until four or so—everyday."

He nodded, but didn't speak. I waited, wondering what he thought. Did he even care?

"Can't hardly believe Gumbo's actually gonna let you out of his sight. About time, if you ask me. But of course no one ever does..."

I smiled a little. "You think we could still practice sometimes? Extra self-defense lessons on the weekends?"

Logan shrugged. "Sure, if your Pop agrees. Heard he planned to take you on himself."

I smiled bigger, secretly glad we'd get to continue teaching each other. "Yeah, but you know Pop. He makes promises, and then we're both always too busy."

"Yeah, I know. He loves you though. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I feel a little guilty, leaving. It's like I'm..."

"You're not, Sadi. It's time for you to spread your wings a little. Just be careful. The kids at the school in town won't be watched as closely as the kids here. It's easy to get used to having a telepath hovering over you. You'll probably take some guff there, because of the rumors about this place. Whatever happens, don't let yourself get hurt."

We both knew what his words translated to. If I got accused of being a mutant, I had to either keep calm, or fight for my life.

Otherwise, I could get very hurt indeed.

"Just remember that lying about where you came from isn't always a betrayal, kid. In your case, I'd recommend it."


	16. New Kid

Pop saw me off Monday morning, kissing me on the forehead and hugging me tight until I groaned, a little embarrassed. When he finally let me go, I waved good-bye, got in the jeep, and drove off.

Entering the building and seeing so many kids running around proved daunting. In spite of all the movies I'd watched containing similar scenes, nothing could've prepared me for the sheer number of bodies running around a public school. While walking to my new locker, I saw a whole range of people, from stereotypical geeks, to boys and girls who could've been movie stars in my book.

I arrived late to my first class. I couldn't find the room, and got book-checked in the hallway. The teacher didn't seem to care. He just directed me to an empty seat without even pausing in his lecture.

The whole day was like that. I didn't know if I should expect dramatic fireworks over transferring from Xavier's, or to make a bunch of new friends, but neither happened. The kids all just sort of ignored me. My entrance into public school mattered about as much as the tuna sandwiches they ate for lunch. At least the teachers had acknowledged me back home—here they were so distraught over teaching material to kids who wouldn't shut up, they paid no mind to the quiet new girl in the corner.

I didn't know what I'd expected exactly, but it wasn't what I got.

The only good part of public school was the dramatic drop in work load. I finished my homework in study hall, and when I got home, I looked forward to spending an evening in front of a TV, or out in the swimming pool. The moment I parked the jeep in the garage, dad came out of the mansion to meet me.

I grabbed my pack out of the back seat before walking over to him, opening my arms for a hug.

"Bad day, chere?" he asked, enveloping me in his arms, backpack and all.

I shrugged, letting my cheek rest against his chest. "Nothing bad happened. It's just weird, going somewhere new."

He brushed my hair back from my face, giving me a squeeze. "Give it time," he said. A long moment passed during which he simply stood and hugged me before finally speaking again. "Come on. They be expectin' you down in the lab. Got the results fo' the tests Beast ran on you."

I nodded, going along with him as he led me inside, one arm around my shoulders.

* * *

"You do not have a mutation, Sadi," Hank informed me.

Four of us sat together. Me and Pop on one side of the conversation, Beast and the Professor on the other.

"Then, what's wrong with me?" I asked, baffled. If I didn't have a mutation, then why did it hurt me sometimes when dad touched me? What could possibly cause that?

Beast smiled a little. "You have an allergy."

Pop and I both stared at him for a long moment.

Dad blinked at Hank a few times, shaking his head a little in shock. "What kind of allergy?" he asked; voicing the words my brain hadn't managed to come up with yet.

Beast used a small remote to turn on a video screen on the wall. A computer-generated image of tissue cells appeared. "This is a sample of healthy human tissue we replicated from Sadi's sample. Watch what happens when psi-energy is introduced to it."

The cells reacted to the energy, seeming to almost attack it.

"I doubt Sadi is the only human to have been born with such an allergy. At birth, it could've been mild. Through extensive exposure to various mutant energies, her skin may have sensitized over time. The good news is, now that we know what's causing her reaction, we can treat it. First we'll experiment with anti-histamines, and later we could try to set up a program to desensitize her."

I expected a rush of relief to come with knowing what caused the burns I'd received, but none came. Beast gave me an injection of anti-histamine, and sent me off. I went about my evening as planned.

"It's kind of like I feel better, but I'm still depressed," I said, taking a hard swing at the hand-pads my father held out for me. I hit with a jab, and followed up with a cross and a quick hook.

Dad took a second to shake his hand out after I finished my combo, acting like my punches had hurt. He shook his red bangs out of his eyes, settling back into a defensive stance so I could attack again. It was our first attempt at training together, but thus far it'd turned into father-daughter talk time.

"Think you might be a little disappointed, Chere?" he asked, his voice remaining level in spite of my hits.

"Disappointed how?" I asked, rolling under the slow swipe he took at my head, coming up with a hook-cross-hook right away.

"Sadi don't have a mutation. Maybe after all these years, you expected you'd get one someday. Woulda made it easier to fit in with the students here."

He forced me to block with my left arm, and I came back with a cross from the right. "Maybe," I said, deciding I'd have to think about that more later.


	17. Secrets

I was still distracted the next day at school, thinking about Beast's conclusion on my condition. _Allergies_. Who would've thought? I walked the halls like a zombie, hardly noticing the wolf-whistle directed at me by some stupid jock in a stocking hat and shades, a backpack slung over his shoulder.

When I didn't turn around, the guy fell in beside me, a big cheese-eating grin on his face.

"Psst. Sadi."

I glanced at him, then did a double take.

"Johnny?" I asked.

The Human Torch shot me a smile worthy of Hollywood fame.

"Hey," he said. "Sorry I didn't see you yesterday. I was out of school, working, you know?"

I nodded. I knew all about the crazy missions the Fantastic Four went on. Johnny Storm was by far their most animated member, and I was surprised I'd ended up at the same high school he attended. I wondered morbidly if I would run into Spiderman during gym class.

Bet that would make dodge-ball interesting.

"What're you doing here?" I asked. "I thought you went to school in the city."

Johnny shrugged. "Sue and Reed thought I should go to school outside the city. Less likely to be recognized, and whatnot. They're the ones who told me to look for you. I guess they were helping out the X-Men with some run-amok mutant over in Manhattan, and Jean told Sue about your problems at Xavier's, and..."

I put up a hand to silence him. "Okay, okay, I get it. I have absolutely no secrets. Next thing you know, Captain America's going to drop by with the lunch money I forgot on my dresser this morning. God, what a life."

Johnny snickered. "Yeah, that about sums it up. At least it's your dad ordering you around, though. My sister is the one pulling my strings—and if I don't stay in line, Sue casts a force field around me. If I didn't have Ben around to make fun of, I seriously have no idea what I'd do with myself at home. I live in nerd central."

"Yeah, but at least you're in a group you can contribute to," I said, morosely. "Don't take this the wrong way, but do you even remember what it's like to be like me? Did you ever think about how helpless you were?"

The smile slowly faded from his features, and I immediately regretted my words. It was a shame to see a boy so pretty look pensive, and sad.

"Well," he said, scratching at one side of the stocking cap covering his spiky blonde hair. "I remember how it felt to attend my dad's school for genius kids, even though everyone knew I wasn't much of a genius. I was there until the accident a few years ago, when we all got our powers. Even when I was in kindergarten, I had to have a regular teacher because I couldn't keep up with the accelerated curriculum. I could read at a fifth grade level when I was six. You know what Sue and Reed were doing at age six? Advanced Calculus. Now that's not fitting in."

I shot him a sad smile, glancing at him timidly. "Sorry, Johnny," I said softly.

He shrugged, his amused smirk quickly returning. "Oh, don't worry. It would take me weeks to tell you about all the times I got away with murder as a kid because 'I didn't know any better.' If you work it the right way, being different can be a blessing in disguise. Now come on, what's your first class?"

I smiled a little, shaking my head as I pulled my class schedule out of my jeans pocket.

"I have Spanish first hour on Tuesdays. I don't suppose you know where room 115 is?"

"Yeah, it's all the way across the school. I have Spanish now too. Like, right now," he said, just as the bell rang.

I looked around, and realized the hall had cleared while we'd been talking. I hadn't even gotten to my locker yet to drop off my bag.

"Shit," Johnny said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'll have detention if I'm tardy one more time."

"I'm so sorry, John," I said, horrified that he would get in trouble because of me.

He looked around, up at the ceiling and at the walls. His grin became shark-like when he found whatever he was looking for. He glanced up and down the hallway before cautiously approaching the wall beneath a red fire alarm, pulling up the sleeve on his leather jacket.

Johnny snapped his fingers, and a small amount of flame flickered to life just above his hand. He held the flame up, blackening the wall, and after a moment, setting off the alarm.

I had to cover my ears against the sound, wincing at its shrillness.

"Sadi, come on!" he shouted gleefully, grabbing my hand and dragging me along with him down the hall. Soon we blended in with the rest of the students heading out of the building.

Once we made it outside, Johnny continued to drag me out to the parking lot, still snickering over his own antics.

"Johnny, where're we going?" I asked. I'd managed to catch up to him, and was a little impressed that he hadn't let go of my hand. His skin was pleasantly warm, but not hot enough to burn, even though just a moment before he'd held fire in his bare hand.

"You'll see," he said, leading me toward a dirty white van sitting near the back of the lot.

The side door slid open when we got close enough, and I got in behind John, looking around at the two fully armed men sitting in the van, staring at the two of us.

The van's interior looked exactly like one of those vans you the see the FBI use in spy movies, complete with video screens, computers, a small arsenal, and a couple military guys sitting on chairs, apparently doing recon.

"Uh, hi," I said, waving a little at the men with the guns.

Neither of them looked amused. In fact, they looked pissed.

Johnny thunked down on the bare floor, pulling me down beside him.

"Don't worry, they always glare at me like they're hacked off," he said. "I think it's special S.H.I.E.L.D. bad-ass pose training. If they actually smiled, it would be a breach of national security."

I attempted to smile at that, tugging on Johnny's sleeve. "Why're we here?" I asked between gritted teeth.

"Coke," he said.

My jaw seriously almost hit the floor, and I stared at him in disbelief.

That shark-grin of his returned when he noticed the look on my face.

"Not that kind of Coke," he said, reaching over to pull open a small cooler some distance from the electronic recon equipment in the van. His hand disappeared into the ice inside, emerging with two bottles of Coke. I took one from him.

"Hey, Johnny. Toss me one," one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents called. Johnny complied, then turned to me.

"I figure if Nick Fury's going to send them to spy on me, they might as well provide me with soft drinks as compensation," he explained, opening his bottle. He clinked his drink against mine. "Cheers," he said, taking a drink.

I smiled shyly. "Just what're we toasting?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Johnny pulled off his hat and shades, putting them down beside him before drawing his knees up to his chest and leaning on them. He was quite a sight with that bright blond mess of hair sticking up in all sorts of directions, but his blue eyes were beautiful. I got a nice long look at them while he studied the label on his drink.

"We're drinking to having secrets, and finding someone to share them with," he finally decided, absently nodding in agreement with his own words.

I grinned. "Now that I'll drink to," I said, taking a swig.

"Me too," one of the agents chimed in. "Right after the two of you march your over-dramatic butts back to class. Fire drill's over. They'll be looking for you soon."

I looked to Johnny, waiting for his response.

He just shrugged at me. "Major Tightwad has spoken. We'd better go, or they might actually call Captain America."

I smirked. "Hey, that could be interesting. The two of you could arm-wrestle."

Johnny shook his head gravely, opening the van door and jumping out, offering me his hand. "I wish I could say I was too cowardly to arm-wrestle Captain America, but the truth is, he cheats."

My eyes went wide as I took his hand, hopping out of the van. "No way!" I said, in total disbelief.

Johnny shut the door behind me. "No, I'm dead serious. We used to have him over for game nights at the Baxter Building, and he'd cheat at everything we played. Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy, and he's an awesome super-hero, but the man needs to admit he has a problem. Either that or he should change his motto to standing for truth, justice, and getting do-overs in Yahtzee."

By then I'd started laughing, and I just couldn't stop.

All of a sudden I had a feeling I was really going to like going to public school.


	18. First Date

Pop didn't get home until late that night. The Professor told me a number of the X-Men had taken the Blackbird and gone on a mission. He probably would've told me where and why if I'd asked, but I didn't want to know. I never asked anymore, because whatever the Professor told me about the mission would only give my overactive imagination fuel to feed nightmares, and paranoid day dreams of death and destruction.

I went about my evening as normal, allowing my mind to remain preoccupied with Johnny Storm, and all the laughs we'd had together at the expense of the regular kids at our school.

I was sitting at the table in the kitchen when Pop walked in. I'd just completed my math homework, and had begun to absently doodle the word 'Storm' in lightning-esk 3-D letters on my book cover.

I heard Pop walk into the kitchen, and smirked a little when I sensed him looking at my drawing over my shoulder.

"This don' look good," he mumbled tiredly, not at all amused.

I turned around to shoot him a playful glare. "Hey! No peeking until it's done," I said, pretending to cover the drawing with my forearm.

He was covered with dirt, but otherwise no worse for the wear. Pop just shook his head. "Non. Don' look good at all."

I followed him when he headed out the door, bringing my bag with all my school supplies, and my books.

I did some reading while Pop took a shower. He walked into my room to say good-night a while later, clean and wearing sweats and a t-shirt.

He thunked down next to me at the head of my bed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and squeezing me a little. He'd been quiet since he'd gotten home, so I figured he must be dead tired. Sometimes it was hard to get him to shut up when he came home from a mission.

"How was school, chere?" he asked, yawning. He stretched his long legs out in front of him on my bed, crossing them at the ankle.

"It was good," I said, actually meaning it for the first time in years. I smirked, letting my head rest on his shoulder. "I saw somebody there I knew today."

Pop grunted, his long fingers traveling gently through my hair. "Mmhm. Gambit can just guess who."

I giggled. "Oh, come on. Johnny's a sweetheart, Pop. He was really nice to me today."

"Can hardly believe the boy's still in high school. Seems like he shoulda graduated by now."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, because we all know how important high school is compared to saving the world."

Pop chuckled. "Touché, cherie. So, about this boy..."

"Johnny," I corrected.

"Whatevah his name is. You think you could do me a favor, an' be careful around him? Him an' his family have some nasty enemies, just like the X-Men. Some crazy might follow him to school, thinkin' they can ambush him."

I shrugged. "How's that any different from living in the mansion? This place does get attacked every once in a while. It's a fact of life."

Pop sighed, pulling me tighter under his arm. "Gambit just likes bein' there to protect you, chere. Ain't easy to let you fly free, even if the time has come."

I hugged him back. "I know, Pop. It's different for me too, but I think it's worth it, you know?"

His mouth tugged upward in a half-smile, and he nodded. "It is good to see Sadi excited to talk about school."

I grinned, glad he agreed with me.

"Too bad Gambit's gonna have to have a talk with The Human Torch tomorrow morning. Gotta straighten that boy out if he thinks for one second..."

"Dad," I warned flatly.

Pop grinned, ruffling my hair. "Don't worry. You can date him, if he asks. Suppose it could be worse. Could be that billionaire playboy who dresses up in mechanical suit and calls himself 'Iron Man.' Gotta wonder what he's trying to compensate for with that one. Compared to that guy, Johnny Storm's a saint in Gambit's book. Better to date a boy your own age."

"Good," I said, letting my head come to rest on his shoulder again.

"But only if you take Cyke along as a chaperone."

"Wolverine," I countered.

"Stormy," he shot back, not missing a beat.

"Rogue," I countered again.

"Done," he replied, and we shook on it for good measure.

* * *

Johnny missed first period the next morning. I didn't see him until lunch, when he slunk into the cafeteria, his hair once again covered by a black stocking cap, and his eyes hidden behind his shades.

He smirked when he saw me, taking a seat across from me at my very empty table.

For a second he sort of looked around, a curious expression on his face.

"Um, Sadi? Is it just me, or does it seem like people are avoiding this table on purpose?" he asked, noting the way students had packed the tables around ours beyond their seating capacity. Every once in a while someone would shoot us a nasty glare.

I shrugged, taking a sip of milk. "I guess I was fooling myself when I thought the rumor mill at a relatively large public school would run any less rampant than the one at the mansion. I don't even know how they could've figured it out. I haven't talked to anyone but you. Not that I think you told anyone," I said, hoping he didn't take it that way.

Johnny continued to scan the room, his gaze seeming to pause on something just over my shoulder. "Just a wild guess, but I have a feeling it's probably not you."

I felt my brow furrow with confusion. "I didn't tell anyone about you, Johnny..."

"I know," he quickly reassured me, reaching up to remove his glasses. "Just—I might've forgot to mention I'm going through a messy break-up right now, and my ex is beautiful, popular, and far too jealous for her own good."

"Hello, Johnny," a female voice greeted my companion from behind me. "Having fun rolling out the welcome wagon for the new girl?"

Johnny smiled evilly at the girl who must've been standing over me. "Actually, I've known Sadi for years, Cindy. We're childhood friends."

That was something of a lie. Sure, we'd known each other a long time—but mostly as acquaintances.

"Well, isn't that sweet? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a nice boy, John," Cindy replied, her voice falsely syrupy.

Johnny cocked one eyebrow at his ex, and I thought about how nice it would be to melt into the table as opposed to sitting in the middle of a potential lovers-quarrel.

"Aren't I nice, Cindy?" Johnny asked.

"You would be if you'd take Lindsey to the dance Saturday night."

John shot her a disgusted look. "First of all, Lindsey's a bitch, just like you. Second of all, I'm not going to the dance, because Sadi and I are having dinner together Saturday night. Now why don't you go crawl back under your rock?"

They traded a few more nasty comments before I heard the girl whip around and stalk off. Only then did I chance a look over my shoulder at her. Even from behind she looked beautiful—long legs, blond hair flowing around her shoulders.

Johnny scratched at his hat, still scowling. "Can you believe that girl? She's seventeen and she thinks she rules the world, and everyone in it. So, how about it? You wanna go out Saturday night?"

I shrugged, not knowing what to say. I didn't know if I should feel insulted or not, knowing he intended to use me as an excuse to get out of going to the dance.

He must've noticed my indecisiveness, because he smiled at me, reaching out to pat me on the arm. "Hey, I swear I was going to ask you to come. It's a gala for Reed, and Sue said I could invite someone to keep me company. We'll be sitting with her and the kids—so as long as you don't mind that..." he said, rolling his eyes at the absurdness of putting up with his family while on a date.

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Johnny's niece and nephew climbing on him.

"So, is it a date?" he asked, flashing me his most winning smile, taking my hand in both of his and giving it a small squeeze.

I couldn't help but giggle before nodding. Yes, it was a date.

I just hoped I could talk Pop out of sending a baby-sitter along with me.


	19. Make Up

"This totally isn't worth it!" I said, sitting down on my bed, feeling utterly defeated.

I was wearing a very pretty dress that didn't look very pretty on me, my attempts at applying eye-liner were an absolute failure, and Johnny would be picking me up in fifteen minutes.

"I hate dating," I groaned to myself.

Kitty suddenly appeared in my room, having phased through my wall. "I found Jean, Sadi. She'll be here in a minute to help. Trust me, she's a lot better at this kind of stuff than I am."

I nodded sullenly, letting my chin come to rest on one fist. A moment later I rose to answer the door when Jean knocked, letting her in.

"I sort of messed up on the makeup, and we're having trouble getting it off," Kitty told her.

I couldn't even look at Jean. I was too humiliated.

I felt the psychic's warm presence as opposed to hearing her voice. I looked up at her prompting, allowing her to view the damage.

The redhead smiled. "This isn't so bad. I'll just make that little bit of eyeliner flow down so it doesn't stick out," she said, and I could feel her psi energy touch my eyelids. It burned a little, but not like it would've before I started my allergy-treatment sessions with Beast.

Jean applied a little powder to my face manually, and added a touch of mascara to even out my eyelashes before declaring me fit.

I stood in front of the mirror some minutes after that, turning back and forth so I could study myself.

"Is it just me, or does this dress make me look misshapen?" I asked.

"Non, Petite. The dress looks good," Pop commented, surprising me. I hadn't heard him enter the room, but I could see him leaning against the door leading into the bathroom, his arms folded across his chest. "Gambit just don't like all the paint you've got on your face, Cherie. Makes you look a little too grown up."

"Just ignore him, Sadi," Jean instructed me good-naturedly, running a damp comb through my hair as a final touch. "He's just upset because he used to be a teenaged boy, and he knows exactly how they think. Not that you'll have to worry about that with Johnny. I have a feeling Sue keeps a short leash on him."

Pop scoffed. "Not short enough," he grumbled, turning to leave us three girls in peace.

* * *

"The boy here yet?" Gambit asked the moment he stepped off the bottom stair on the main floor.

Logan turned around on the couch, eyeing him. "You talkin' to me, Cajun?"

Remy shot Wolverine an annoyed look. "You know what I mean. That nose of yours smell The Human Barbeque or not?"

"Who, Johnny?" Logan asked, feigning innocence as he turned back to his TV. "Sure. He's been out in the entryway with The Human Iceball for a few minutes now. I think they're talking videogames. Had something to do with that sex scene in Grand Theft Auto."

Gambit growled to himself, frustrated with Wolverine and the whole situation. Part of the reason he'd sent Sadi to public school was so she'd make human friends. Date human boys. A super-hero boyfriend made him antsy before the name 'Johnny Storm' even got thrown into it.

He took a few angry steps toward the doors to the entryway, intending to have a talk with the boy courting his daughter.

"Sure you wanna do that, bub?" Logan asked.

Remy paused. "Sure I wanna do what, mon ami?" he half-growled.

Wolverine shrugged, flipping channels. "Sure you wanna scare off Sadi's first boyfriend before you even get to know him? She'll hate you. Even I've got enough human sense to know that. Besides, it ain't like he's taking her to a strip-show. They're going to a gala dinner with Reed Richards as the primary speaker. The kids'll probably fall asleep in their chairs before eight.

"Besides, I lied."

"About what?" Gambit asked, still hot under the collar, but quickly figuring out he needed to cool down. It wasn't like he hadn't known this day would come.

"They aren't talking about a video game sex scene. They're talking about what a crazy SOB you can become on short notice."

Gambit growled to himself, his hands flexing into fists. "Gonna strangle you one day, Wolverine," he said, stomping off. "Gonna kinetic all that adamantium into a fireworks display unlike any this world's never seen. Just you wait."

Logan chuckled, once again flipping through channels. "You'll try, Cajun. You'll try."


End file.
